


Making it Bizarre and Weird, the Nature Girl

by nadekou (milkysys)



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen, POV Original Character, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-19 04:16:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2374181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkysys/pseuds/nadekou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oki Arika is an average human teenager who spends more time with herself than with anyone else. One day, she finds herself in a new setting entirely, forcing her to find her way back home. However, she manages to find herself in something larger than she had originally imagined, and it is up to her to uncover what lays behind it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Four Missed Calls

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is a rewrite from the fan fiction "Average Joe in Bullet Hell". "Average Joe in Bullet Hell" belongs to Magnificent Sasquatch. Things have been altered, be warned!

"Just what have I gotten myself into..." I muttered to myself, as I find myself sitting behind a girl named Reimu while flying through a dense forest. Ah, today just had not been going my way. Honestly, I believe I've either finally died without my knowledge, or the realm of possibility had been struck by a disgruntled force of nature. With a big mallet. Whatever the case, I was in my hometown yesterday, okay? In my apartment, to be precise. Nowhere near a natural lake, or a forest, or, from what I've gathered, rural Japan. In any case, I need to keep focus unless I want to seriously mess with this girl in front of me. I better recap a little more thoroughly, just to ensure that if I ever perish today, I'll indeed die rather than wake up in my bed.

Oki Arika would be my name. I'm an 18 year old female, I work at a convenience store down the street, and have a rather small apartment that the previous owner really didn't keep well. My wage is fair, the bills get paid, I get enough free time, and life is good. No datefriend though. Never had one in my life, if you don't count those silly romances during elementary. I haven't exactly kept contact with my family, either. If anyone asks, it's because I like my privacy, and I'm too busy planning for college. In reality, it's because I really don't want any association with them. I'd rather keep my distance from their manipulative hands and sweet lies than find myself stuck between their extreme views. But hey, I'm still alive. I pride myself on self sufficiency, mind you. I could be a bit better physically, but I can at least my running is better than average. That's all thanks to my dad who wanted me to grow up with a hearty body, and he always got what he wanted, so I developed some good endurance. Not perfect, but running can get you places faster than walking, correct? Anyways, enough about that. So, last week I got this text on my phone telling me to go somewhere after I got off work. Thing is, I didn't know this person, so I replied _[wrong number]_. The response?

_[I don't think so. And do ask Mr. Honpo to let you off on an extended vacation, will you? You'll need it.]_

I didn't reply. This person somehow knew my boss's name, and apparently where I worked. So for the next few days, I kept my trusty handgun at my bedside just in case. Two days later, a new text.

_[Was waiting. Where were you?]_

I was more so creeped at this point, so I sent a message essentially saying [back off, or I'll have this number traced]. There was silence for the next three days, so I figured that had done it. But that was only for those three days. Thursday night, a new message telling me to look out my window. I humored it and opened the blinds.

I now wished I'd told them to piss off. Actually, not "them", more of a "her" I think.

A good three stories above ground, above the small home across the street, there was a woman in oddly festive attire -an entirely puffy purple dress- sitting on nothing. Floating. Despite the distance, she was looking me directly in the eyes. Huh. Totally not dealing with this. I promptly shut the blinds and made a mental note to seek out a psychiatrist. The next day, the following night, I was extremely tired from not sleeping at all the evening prior. Yeah, fearing for your life kinda does that. My phone buzzed on the couch. I ignored it and went to my room. I didn't even care to see what the likely imaginary floating lady had to say. I turned to my dresser after locking the door. My phone was there, flipped open for me to read.

_[No longer your choice. It's time you came to see me.]_

I was too stunned for words, and too stunned to react when my arms were grabbed and I was yanked backwards with an unearthly force. I went back, back, back, kind of falling, kind of flying, through a violet vortex with golden…I want to say 'eyes', everywhere, staring at me. I could see my room in the distance, a tear in the void, as two red ribbons at the top and bottom, respectively, tied it shut. Unable to take so much crazy, I blacked out.

Now, here's where things get more peculiar.

 

When I regained consciousness, I woke up with a start and turned to my side, tumbling down a slight slope into positively freezing water. Like any sane person, I yelped far too loudly and made a spectacle of myself leaping out of the frigid conditions and wringing out my shirt. Looking towards the cause of my discomfort, I found myself staring out over a lake of considerable size. First priority would have been _"Why the hell is a lake here?"_ , but…it was such a beauteous sight…all shiny, sparkling with the rays of the sun…I found myself tempted to go swimming. Of course, I snapped out of it and decided that swimming in an unfamiliar area isn't the best of ideas, and that maybe looking for someone who can direct me back home was much more important. It took approximately five seconds before I noticed the crimson mansion looming over where I'd been sleeping before in the opposite direction. Well, that was easy.

As I walked up to the elegant building, my clothes a bit dried out thanks to the marvels of sunlight, I noticed something a bit odd. I had to squint a bit, but yes, there was definitely someone there. A girl with hair an interesting shade of red and clad in a green guard's suit was sleeping outside the gate! That didn't seem secure, but if she was allowed to do such then maybe this happened often? I wasn't really sure, and I much rather not judge someone who might hold the key to getting me home. She looked no older than myself, a little younger, actually. She seemed so peaceful, but if I wanted to get out of here, I would have to certainly break that. A shame. I never liked being rude.

"Hello?" I called in a moderate tone of voice. "Excuse me, miss?" Louder this time. No response either times. Shrugging, I walked past her, deciding that it might be best to leave her be and ask someone else. Yes, that sounded much more polite. And then, an annoying buzzing! Bees aren't the worst, but at this moment in time, I cursed it's life. The blasted thing flew right up in my face, almost as if begging, _"Please hit me!"_ , so…I did out of fear. After being met with the back of my hand, the little devil seemed far less amused than before, and in a kamikaze rage, the thing stung what it was standing on at the time.

The guard girl's shoulder.

"Eiiyee!" Her eyes snapped open and she leapt to her feet with a startled shriek. I felt the most heaviest of guilt pulling me down, thinking about how much pain she might be in-

And that's when her hands gripped around my throat.

ACK! I couldn't breathe! I was really getting it this time! Her strength was equal to a trash compactor! And she was releasing it on my throat, no less!

"Have you no honor? Striking someone when she's resting her eyes, for shame!" Her voice had a commanding edge to it, something that kept me in a state of shock.

"-I didn't…it wasn't…!" I furiously try to choke a response before deciding that sentences wouldn't work this time, and pointed to her shoulder whilst shouting, "Bee!" Looking to her shoulder, the girl finally saw the culprit to her mild discomfort and let go in order to brush it off. I've never appreciated breathable oxygen more in all my life. Let's hope I never have to again.

"Ah, my mistake." She muttered sheepishly, before clearing her throat and reassuming an imposing position. "A-Anyway! What business do you have with the lady of the mansion?"

"I, er-"

"Is there some manner of incident?"

"What's a-"

"Have you come looking for work?"

"Well, I-"

"Aha! You must intend to cause trouble to the mistress! Such a suspicious looking person…well, I won't have it!" She declared quite proudly, fists at her hips.

"Can...Can I please explain myself, miss?" I suggested nervously, fed up with the interruptions. She placed her fists on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. The oxygen starvation, this guard's stare, think! Why are you here again? I only needed to explain and this will all work out! I opened my mouth to speak only for another interruption.

"At any rate, it doesn't matter. Lady Remilia isn't taking any visitors at the moment, especially a funny-looking human. Now, please leave at once." It seemed that she was quite persistent with keeping this castle safe. I understood why, but she wouldn't even let me talk! I might just have to find someone else. But first, I had to ask...

"Ah, what do you mean 'human'?" I asked with a confused expression. "Aren't we all hu-"

"-Wait, where do you think **YOU** are going?!"

 

The guard then jumped up into the air and...flew? She was flying alright. I took a step back, baffled at what had just happened. There was flying? Could I fly? No, this wasn't the time to become curious over impossible abilities! I quickly glanced up to the sky, noticing that there was what seemed like another girl. She's dressed in a traditional-looking garb with a red and white motif bearing detached sleeves, while the ribbon in her hair completes the look! I guessed that she was trying to go over to the mansion. By...flying as well.

Oh god, I started to feel lightheaded. This was getting very weird. I couldn't get down just yet, however, I had a mission to complete. And that was to get home. Yet it seems that the red and white girl wasn't backing away anytime soon. She was holding her ground, and began shooting...cards? I didn't know how to take this. It seemed like the guard got some pretty good damage, however. Was she okay? Even if she was a bit rude early on, was this a normal occurrence? Maybe I was experiencing a terrible nightmare.

 

It went on for about 2 minutes. Hell, maybe even shorter than that. I wasn't counting. They both had a pretty good fight; the guard shooting out a rain of rainbow bullets while the other managed to dodge them efficiently. I didn’t exactly understand what was going on, but the winner seemed quite obvious. As the guard began to sulk back to her spot, I quickly made my move and followed the winner, who was probably getting ready to continue her journey. Well, if this girl could beat the guard, that means that she held a higher position of power, right?

“Hey! Hey you up there! Can you please help me?!” I exclaim while jumping in place. A weird sight, yes, but I need to catch her attention somehow. She seemed to glance at me with a weird expression before ignoring me, which honestly bothered me quite a bit. Well, if she is going to play that way...-

“Do you know how I can get back home?! Can you at least listen to me?! I am lost here!”

That seemed to catch her attention somehow. Even if she didn’t look overly concerned, I at least had a chance to explain my situation. As she got closer, the more I felt intimidated by her. After all, she was the one who beat the guard, and in such a weird fashion too!

"You alright? Did she damage you too much?" She asks, her voice a little more monotone than I would've liked, but I didn’t mind much.

"She didn't touch me. Thank god for it, or I'd be perfectly flat right about now." I shrug sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head. At least the girl is talking to me.

"You wouldn't happen to be from the Outside World, would you?" Huh? Outside World? Wait, could this have to do with that portal? Well, if flying and magical bullets exist, then surely this wasn't a stretch to believe.

"If I say yes," I begin, choosing my words with not quite enough care to be subtle, "would this have anything to do with a blonde woman in a violet dress?" She goes wide-eyed.

"Did she have an umbrella?"

"Excuse me?"

"Answer the question."

"...Yes." The other let out an exasperated sigh. I think I hit the nail on the head. I hope this means that I am getting closer to my goal.

"Goddamnit, Yukari." She mumbles loud enough for me to hear. She turns back to me. "Right. I get this now, but it looks like you'll be coming with me for the moment." That's just a bit sudden, isn't it? If it at least leads me to peace of mind, then I might as well take my chances here. She probably knew even more than me too. "Okay then, let's go." She grabs my right arm, and two yin-yang orbs materialize on either side of her. Wait- Hold on, are we going to fly-

"H-Hey, don't try to scare me like that!!" I yelp as we're airborne. "That was…ahh!" My new friend rolls her eyes. I guess flying isn't something I should be amazed at? "Ah, sorry. I am new to this."

"I suppose." The girl mutters, seeming annoyed with this 'Yukari' person still. "I almost forgot," She began, glancing at me over her shoulder, "it might not matter in the long run, but I'm Reimu. Of the Hakurei shrine, that is."

"Oh, right. I'm Oki Arika, pleased to meet you. Um...Sorry for disturbing you." She raises an eyebrow before looking back ahead.

"No need to apologize." She states. I couldn't help but to sigh. Well, at least I am going somewhere.

 


	2. Keeping Appearances

We touch down at the base of a fairly-old looking shrine. The place looks like it's held up pretty well, actually, except for a few broken boards here and there. The way the damage is, it's almost like an earthquake rolled by here recently…ah, maybe it would be better not to ask. I glance towards the far corner, where there sits a dusty donation box. I move slightly, intending to put something in, when I realize my money probably won't be any good here. A shame. Why can't we all have a common system? Maybe because we all enjoyed to make life even harder than before! I turn back towards Reimu whose eyes shine with a slight hope, but as soon as it's obvious I'm waiting on something, she sighs sadly and makes for the sliding door entry.

"Even an outsider…I just can't win. " Oh no, now I felt guilty again. I'll have to make a note to pay her back some day. Regardless, after the miko made that sideways comment, she gestures for me to come inside. Shrugging to myself, I oblige, stopping before heading in.

Taking off my shoes, I step in, the entry room being a small rectangular area with those paper-esque walls and a round little table in the center. Well, how very cozy! She sits at one side of the table and waits for me to do the same. I surrender my legs to sit with her, finally getting some actual calmness after what happened earlier. "So, you've likely a lot of questions?"

"Ah, yes." I say, scratching the back of my head. "That girl who talked me back there…she wasn't-"

"Human?" Reimu finishes for me, to which I nod. "You're definitely an outsider. That girl was Hong Meiling, gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and she is a youkai." She stares at the ceiling before continuing. "Truth is, this place -Gensokyo- is mainly for them, not humans like us." She makes eye contact with me again. "I'm sure you've heard stories. Fables, myths, of monsters and inhuman beasts and mortal-bodied gods? I can tell you right now, nearly every one you've been told to be imaginary exists, and the bulk of them are here. From my understanding, it became too hazardous for Youkai to remain in the outside world. Human intuition and technology were increasing to a point where if they wanted to go on a widespread hunt and kill of what inhumans remained, they could manage it. …If this sounds far-fetched, the story was told to me by a questionable source. Though it's possible. You should know we seek to destroy or control those who are different than us." I nod at that. A very true statement. "…Then again, Youkai are so carelessly chaotic, it shouldn't be too surprising mankind saw them as their enemy. Anyway, what Youkai available were gathered together in this section of Japan, and separated from the outside world by a certain someone of their own kind. A godlike being, like those I mentioned earlier." I can't help but notice that she begrudgingly states this. Hold on, I think I can piece this...

"This person," I begin, holding up a palm to cut her off a moment, "it wouldn't be this…Yukari, would it?" A momentary shock, then a nod.

"You're rather perceptive, aren't you?" Reimu askes me with a smirk. "Well then, ponder this: why would Yukari also bring in humans, who helped cause the need for this land in the first place?" I open my mouth to respond. Except I've no response.

She looked pretty cocky. Well, obviously she knew more than me, what did she expect? Reimu's face suddenly takes a darker turn. Oh dear, the unpleasant part.

"On an impulse, she decided that she'd have humans live here, anyway. Again, this is what she says. Of course, for the most part, this kind of coexistence is, for the most part, absolutely impossible. Only a select few types of Youkai can resist attacking humans for fun or food, let alone befriending them. And even then, they only respect those with power." Reimu makes a grim smile. "Part of the reason my profession became necessary. It's the Hakurei shrine maiden's job to keep Gensokyo in check. Go around and solving incidents with the power of the border that keeps this place stable. Yukari herself…" Reimu's hands clench. "…Has had a major hand in a few incidents."

…

Huh.

 

"On her own, she's lazy and fairly tolerable, but," Another sigh. It felt like this happens all too often to the girl. Depressing, really. "she's supposed to be this realm's overseer, and yet will add to the problem on a whim. It's irritating enough that gap hag can travel through all manners of borders." She folds her arms and looks directly at me. "Well, you have your answer." Ah? You never…

…oh, I get it! This whole monologue was a roundabout way of explaining why I'm here! It's all thanks to that teleporting purple lady, right! Ah...This seemed more complicated than I realized. And I thought that I can waltz out of here and get back home.

"Fu-fu-fu-fu. Reimu, dear, since when are you one to call anybody lazy?" A deeper voice than ours rang out. "Honestly, you haven't even finished repairs from the problem with Hinanawi, have you? And, rest assured…" I jump as a soft hand grips my shoulder too firmly for comfort. "I've no intention of causing trouble for this young lady." As Reimu utters a soft "Who are you fooling?", I clamber to my feet and scuttle away before facing the newcomer as the gap she rode in on closes up. Blonde hair. A purple dress. A fancy parasol. To top it off, those golden eyes boring into mine with a mischievous glint. "I am Yukari Yakumo. And I am the one who whisked you here."

Nice to meet you, Ms. Yakumo. Please bring me home and I will never speak of this again to anyone.

"Ah, don't be so alarmed…" Yukari seats herself across from me, where Reimu was moments before. The room suddenly feels a hell of a load smaller. "Reimu, dear, might you provide your guests with some tea?" She chuckles yet again, but Reimu remains where she is.

"Sorry, guest, but I've run out as of this morning." Yukari frowns, as if she was saddened by the answer. "Of course, you are more than welcome to run to the human village and get some yourself. Or don't you want your tea?" Yukari's eyes widen a tiny bit with a slight fear or extreme discomfort with that idea. This was a weird thing to witness.

"Nevermind, nevermind, I'm finding myself not as thirsty as before." Yukari smirks. "I suppose you should stick around anyway. This may concern you, too. Fu-fu-fu…" That airy chuckle sounds again. Why do I feel like she already has some form of payback in mind? "Ah, but back to business." She clasps her hands on the table returning her focus to me, sounding a bit more serious. "The reason why you are here is to help with a little project I've had in the works for a while. And no, it involves no incident, so feel free to set the gohei down." Reimu places the staff she'd suddenly raised back where it was. Impressive. "Gensokyo, my little slice of paradise, has been going about a good two hundred years, now. It's been a few seasons since the last incident, so it would seem I have enough time to get this started, and you," She pointed a slender digit my way with a raised eyebrow, "young lady, are the prime candidate to assist me." She pauses, as if frozen in time. Fine, I'll bite.

 

"Go on, you've got my attention."

"Now, Oki, as you've been told, I typically keep the outside and inside of Gensokyo separate. However, some time ago, the aspect of immigration crossed my mind." Immigration? Like pulling people from Earth like you did me? "Humans here adjusted surprisingly quick to their new domain, of course, being constantly surrounded by Youkai would make one care for things such as a dwelling place or lost possessions a touch less, hm?" I am too speechless to even comment. "So, I decided a trial period must be in order. Scout out an ideal subject, place them in here, and watch how their lives are lived out. If this succeeds, I might decide to balance out the human-youkai ratio a touch better with some new blood. I see you are intrigued?"

"You can say so," I begin, "seeing as this place holds all manners of the improbable, it could be fun. So I help a while, and you send me back home, fair deal."

"No."

…

…Uh, what?

Reimu's gohei is positioned for a swing at the woman's head. However, for whatever reason, she doesn't swing just yet.

"I didn't say 'live your life for a while', oh no, I said 'live your life here' period. I can't make an accurate call if you quit part way through, can I?" Reimu, please. "That's why I was watching you for some time, why I was scouting you. I needed a human nobody would miss."

There goes the gohei.

That looks like it hurt, even if Yukari didn't budge. I simply flinch from the sight. Pain is pain either way.

"Yukari," Reimu growls, lowering her weapon, "just what are you playing at, here? You abducted a person, essentially discarding their life because you felt like it?"

"My goodness," Yukari rubs the left side of her head where a budding bruise has formed nicely, "it's not like you to get so worked up for others."

"Forget that! If you're this bad now, I can only imagine how troublesome you'll prove later."

 

…This wasn't okay at all.

"And you," Yukari grabs at my attention, "don't act like this affects you so much. A sub-par living space, a dead end career -if you can even call it that-, and virtually no interaction with friends or family. The world wouldn't miss you, because you would not miss it. Now look me in the eyes and tell me I'm wrong." I look her in the eyes, but say nothing. I'm feeling much too personally violated at the moment. However, I'll begrudgingly grant her a point. She gives off an air of triumph. "Besides, as I have precedence over Gensokyo, nobody cherishes it more than me, and any plan involving it in a widespread manner I handle with care. I've even brought you a gift, a show of good faith. Just how is that evil?"

A gap appears in the table, and a small cat charm pops out. It was my grandfather's charm that he gave me, just how did she-? Nevermind that. This was a topic I shouldn't play around with but...in a way she was correct and it was depressing. And plus, this was actually pretty kind. It's as if what Reimu told me was a falsehood. I stare down at the wooden table. No, I haven't forgotten the devious nature she showed before, but I still have to say…

"…Thank you." Yukari seems a bit surprised.

"…Oh? And what for? Returning what is rightfully yours?"

"It's belonged to someone I owe a great deal. It...just is important to me, is all." I whispered, my hands carefully guarding my charm.

"Don't think my mind has changed. I haven't before and I don't plan to start. You're here now, and here you will remain. However, that doesn't make me some nemesis or force you've been made to overcome. The phrase 'cruel and unusual' isn't fit to describe me."

That's actually a bit reassuring…

"Well, not 'cruel', anyway!"

Oh. Well...I was tempted before, but now I have to ask.

"Yukari, what Reimu told me about Gensokyo's origin…?"

"Oh, that? Yes, I changed around some bits and pieces. Or did I? It's been a while since I took that tale under editing consideration. The general idea is definitely accurate, though." I couldn't help but to frown disapprovingly accompanied by yet another red miko sigh. She totally twisted the story. Why was I still here and not miles away from this place again?

"Cooperate a little, and I'll see you a smooth ride through, hm? We'll speak more tomorrow. Until then," She opens the door to the shrine and steps out into a waiting gap, "take care~" A zipping noise, and the odd woman is gone.

"…Huh." Reimu finally speaks. "That was about the most outgoing way I've ever seen her behave towards…well, anyone." A slight smile crosses her face. "Perhaps that hag is getting her act together."

Oh no, there she was again. Right on the ceiling. What did she forget this time?

 

"Whoops! Almost forgot. Reimu, she'll be staying here. A longer exposure to serving a guest should help you remember to keep more tea around. Bye, now!" Her head darts back in, and she is gone. For a solid minute, there is silence.

"Um…Reimu?"

Let's just say that Reimu didn't take that lightly.


	3. Flowering Strength

My conscious mind suddenly snaps to, as I recognize the callings of birds. Sitting up in the futon I was given the night prior, I stretch my arms out and give a deep yawn. Rubbing the awkward feeling from my eyes, I look to the roof to see the boards of the Hakurei shrine. So…it wasn't a dream? No, of course not. I was living and breathing, wasn't I? I glance over to the wall to see the charm propped up like I left it. Honestly, after all that has happened the day before, I felt oddly at home. At least the clutching in my chest has gone away due to the worries of being in an unfamiliar area. Well, Gensokyo, I guess. Wherever this pocketed dimension was. I hop to my feet and grab my clothes lying in the corner, hastily dressing myself.

Why was I in such a rush? Today Reimu was going to show me the ropes of living in Gensokyo, starting with projecting what she called "danmaku". She explained that those cards she'd shot at the youkai yesterday were her danmaku, bullets that one can summon from themselves and never deplete. Ever. I was a bit happy at the thought of being my self-supporting self again. God, that sounded weird. She went on to explain that Meiling was a guard for the Scarlet Devil Mansion under the hire of the vampire Remilia. "Vampires don't exist though...", I muttered. Reimu had raised an eyebrow to point out the obvious flaw in my logic, given my understanding of reality and fiction had so recently been demolished by the purple-and-yellow sledgehammer that was Yukari Yakumo, causing me to hang my head in defeat. Shortly thereafter, I was directed to an empty room on the side of the shrine, tossed this futon, then bidden to sleep. It had still been bright out, and Reimu had still been irritated by Yukari having me stay here.

Yukari.

The supposedly supreme youkai who held the bragging rights of "I made Gensokyo". She was supposed to see me again today. It was odd, Yukari acted rather silly yesterday, yet when addressing my state of affairs, she changed into a believable authority figure. And then, when trying to console me in my confusion, she seemed so friendly?  
Regardless.

 

Having slipped my shoes on and gave a small pat to my charm, I plodded outside, taking in the rays of the surprisingly early sun. Early to bed and early to rise, the wise ones say! I glance about the shrine grounds. Reimu doesn't seem to be up yet, so I make for the main entrance. When suddenly I noticed-! Yes, an old broom stood by the door looking mighty underused! I take notice of the ground at my feet, and the accumulated dust. It wasn't the hardest thing in the world to figure out. I grab the broom in both hands, shaking the dust off of it first, then begin pushing along the ground in wide strokes, brown clouds kicked up by my efforts. True, it couldn't be helped, but even so I felt guilty imposing on Reimu like this. A little sweeping is the least I could do for compensation. About twenty-five minutes and a few hundred strokes later, the porch is already looking a lot better! That's when the door behind me opens, unleashing a slightly sleepy miko.

"Umn…ah…" Reimu rubs her eyes much like I did, then glances about the porch and seeing my handiwork. "…Well, now. Oki, I never asked you to sweep…" She paused. "Ah, I get it, but I blame Yukari for this, not you. Don't get worked up about it."

"Actually," I began, propping the broom up. "I didn't want be a total freeloader. I hope you don't mind this, I really didn't peg you as the grudge-holding type, anyway."

"You're rather quick to speak your mind, aren't you?"

"Would you rather I put up a front?" She shrugs, showing some mutual agreement.

 

"Anyway if that hasn't tired you out, we should get started. Who knows what you'll be doing when Yukari shows up." I nod and she directs me to the concrete grounds in front of the shrine. We stand at opposite ends, and my excitement showed clearly.

 

"Okay, now pay attention." Reimu catches it quite easily. She swiftly waves her arm upwards while facing a nearby tree. "Hm!" she grunts as a series of cards materialize in mid-air, launching at the tree with lightning speed before embedding themselves in the wood. A few moments later, they burst into tiny points of light that, soon after, fade away. She turns back to me. "That," she begins, "was my danmaku. It comes out in that form due to the fact that I come from the holy bloodline of Hakurei, and are to reflect that. All danmaku for Gensokyo natives typically represent who they are on some level, however-" she pauses, "For outsiders like yourself, it pretty much is shaped however you like it. Just know that once the shape has been set and its function decided, it can't be changed. Choose carefully."

Carefully? Define carefully. I had nothing on me at the moment except for my own limbs, unless she wanted me to work off my clothes. That was immensely silly, oh god. Either way, I take a look around from where I stand, trying to find anything that would help me get some sort of idea for a...danmaku? Plants. That was all I had. It's not a bad idea, right? Use what you have, people say, don't be a waste. Right. Maybe I can use nature to my advantage? Might as well give it a shot. I take aim at the tree, hoping luck won't fail me now, and fire…or lack thereof, because nothing happens.

"Don't treat it as such a casual action!" Reimu called over. "Focus yourself on the medium before attempting to form anything." Okay, so focus. Concentrate on the living plant life around me. At this moment, I felt…odd, to say it simply. A tingly sensation welled up in my chest, before flooding my entire body. I aim once more, hand slightly trembling as the energy in that area intensified, then seemed to stretch into my fingertips. This was it, moment of truth! I open my eyes, and quickly note that the feeling remains. While it does, I try to envision life bursting out…success! A green orb of energy blasts out of my hand and smacks into the tree with a satisfying speed. Grinning, I let loose a series of twelve rapid shots, all hitting their mark in the course of a moment. This was certainly a start.

"Kinda generic…" Reimu states in a warning tone. Of course. Like she said, once I decided this to be my danmaku, there would be no changing it. I needed to pick something reliable, infallible and had a uniqueness to it that I could call my own. Ah, well I guess I'd have to try a bit harder. Plants, living things around me, they all grow because of light didn't they? Yes, I was getting somewhere with this thought. I aim my hand at the tree, taking a deep breath in. Immediately, the rays of the sun hitting my body are more noticeable, and my skin feels like it's vibrating…almost as if it was hungrily devouring the light that made contact with me. White lines of light begin to be drawn into my hand as a high-pitched 'Whirrrr' grows ever louder. When it finally reaches the loudest point, I release. The sunlight I'd presumably absorbed forces through my torso, to my forearms, through my fingers, to the shining opening. Something leaves my body and the recoil forces me to jump back. A massive, blazing orb of green light a bit that nearly is my height rips free and strikes the poor tree, utterly decimating it down to a jagged stump with a nice leafy explosion. A whistle from the miko signals that I've impressed a bit. I couldn't help but to beam.

 

"Well," She starts, "you've grasped that quickly, haven't you? Not to mention that I've hardly seen shots that were charged like that." She pauses. "May I ask, you…didn't happen to run into a black and white witch before that run-in with Meiling, did you?" I shake my head. She sighs in what seems to be relief.

"Should I know her?" I have to ask.

"No, but you'll probably meet her soon enough. Just in case I'm not around when that happens, be listening for a 'Marisa Kirisame'." I nod quickly, running a hand through my hair. I didn't know what was up with this Marisa, though Reimu seems hardly apprehensive to mention her…either way, none of my business. Anyway, she does have a point, this seemed a little too easy, even if every combat-capable person in this world uses this fighting method. Sighing, I can only assume this too is due to some help from the one who brought me here. Oh well.

"Anyway," Reimu continues, "that's all said and done. In any case, some work needs to get done around here before any other lessons." I head tilt, puzzled. Danmaku alone wouldn't be enough? "Oh, you know, flying, Spell Cards, that sort of thing." Flying seemed pretty nice.

Wait. Spell Cards?

As in magic spells?

I was clueless, a thing I hate to admit at times. Would I be able to pull off spell cards just as I did with danmaku?

"Something wrong?" Reimu asks. I shake my head. "Don't worry about that-spell cards are of a greater variety than you'd think."

"Like what?"

"There's a nuclear energy user and a knife-thrower, just to name two. Those two in particular are fairly tough fighters as well, despite having such odd forms of projectiles. Not to mention, some who control more potentially dangerous elements are complete weaklings."

"Name one."

"A youkai with control over darkness. It takes maybe, maybe two Spell Cards from me to put her down. A fairy who controls ice. She's the resident practice dummy." I felt a bit more alleviated. "Look, I know that this is probably a bit much for you to take in so easily, but you have to understand that here, typical weaknesses and strengths are meaningless. The primary deciding factor is how hard you work at making yourself an expert of your area. I don't mean to sound cheesy, but it all depends on how hard you work to be the best you possible." I couldn't help but to smile at that. It was a nice feeling indeed.

 

We used the rest of the morning working here and there. Despite Reimu's insistence that if she needed something she'd ask, and didn't want to risk me wrecking anything, I still hefted some sacks of rice to a shed in the back, swept the perimeter a bit more thoroughly, and moved some furniture that was inside. We spent the later hours drinking some tea outside and chatting on matters of Gensokyo and the Outside World. Reimu had been curious as to certain technological advances that she'd caught glimpses of in the shop of a man named "Rinnosuke", and I just needed information period.

Shortly after, Yukari appeared.

"I didn't come in too late, did I? Fu-fu..." Came the voice of the older woman from a gap that suddenly emerged in front of the shrine. Out walked Yukari, spinning her parasol a little, grinning merrily at Reimu, then fixing her focus on me. "I trust you managed to get some work in this morning?" This was clearly directed at Reimu.

"I taught her how to use danmaku, and that was it." Said the miko, already grumpier than before. Yukari frowned a little.

"Just danmaku, not how to fly? Reimu, for shame." She made a "tsk" noise in disapproval. "But, that's why I'm here." Yukari beamed with a hint of mischievous intent, heading our way, "To make sure these matters are handled correctly. Not that you can't handle it, Reimu." I didn't need to look to tell Reimu was just about ready to smack the youkai once more.

"Anyway," I coughed, standing up and diverting attention from the tense atmosphere, "you wanted me to do something for you today?"

"Oh, hardly, dear." Yukari smiled. "I want you to do something with me."

"Trust me, there's no difference." Reimu directed towards me. I couldn't help but quietly snicker as Yukari's face took an ever-humorous hint of irritation. Guess you can't win all the time.

"Well, regardless," Yukari began in her falsely pleasant expression, "we must be going. So-" She leaned out and suddenly snatched my right arm by the wrist. "I'll speak with you another time, Reimu."

"Wait, excuse me-?"

I was cut off as we were swallowed up by a gap, and went through the violet, golden-eyed void once more.

 

Dark. Dark, and purple. This was all that registered in my senses for a good five seconds while the Border Youkai whisked me through her little dimension of violet and eyeballs. Luckily it didn't last long, as we emerged shortly in a wide open field, grass billowing as far as the eye could see. It was very…well, pretty, for lack of a more impressive description. My focus was restored when Yukari clapped her hands together.

"Okay, now's the time~" She spoke with a determined expression. I was puzzled. The time, the time for what?

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Flying?"

"Oh, that?" She chuckled. "Ah silly girl, you don't possess that ability!"

"What?" I was genuinely shocked. I thought everyone in Gensokyo could! It certainly looked like it! "Reimu said that it was real common, though...You even teased her about not teaching me."

"Flying? No, she only thinks it is. Also, I tease because it's funny. Quite a few youkai travel in a method similar to flying, but its not the same." My hopes seemed to be a bit dashed at this point. I look towards my feet, feeling my face twist into a solemn expression. Another thing that would've been useful has now been confirmed impossible. Her hand pats my shoulder. "Oh, don't look so downtrodden. Like I said, there are many alternatives, and you'll find yours. For now, let's get down to business." Yukari took a few steps away, glancing up and down my form before nodding to herself. "Right. We're here to determine what your special ability is."

"Special ability?" I echo her words, blinking in confusion. "What might that be?"

"Oh, Reimu didn't tell you? I must have words with that girl." She sighed. "Anyway, let me give you some examples. Reimu can call on the powers of the gods. The head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion can stop time. A certain witch you've probably heard of can master most any kind of magic spell. A shrine maiden who lives on a mountain is said to be capable of miracles. These are but a few examples, and all of them are unique to their holder. Even if two people bear near-identically shaped danmaku, their ability will always be their own. Like, if your danmaku had been shaped to resemble Reimu's it wouldn't change anything." I fold my arms, nodding in understanding. Ah, wait-

"You saw my danmaku practice? You were watching?"

"Yes. In any case, we need to see just what you can do before moving on. A handful of Gensokyo's finest are known to have some inherent trait or ability that stands out, and the rate at which you picked up danmaku leads me to believe we can identify yours with little trouble." Yukari twirls her parasol a bit.

"Alright then. Ah but...how will we find out?" All Yukari can offer is a shrug. I could only stare with a judging look.

Wonderful.


	4. Photosynthesize

It'd been a good…hour and a half by this point. Even with all that time, I cannot get the ability to work, whatever it was. Agh! I knew getting this far this quickly would come with bad results. I look back towards my benefactor, who looks about ready to fall asleep, yawning every so often. From what Reimu's told me, she should have already. Is it really so important to her plan's success that I do…whatever it is I'm supposed to do? Regardless, meditation doesn't work, prayer to any god listening is a no-go (which for some reason Yukari found funny, saying she knew a pair of idiots who appreciated my prayer anyway), and focusing really hard just caused me to get a bad headache. In summation, I have hit quite the stumbling block.

"Are you giving up this early? I thought you were all about learning~"

I shot her an annoyed glance, pushing back a strand of hair behind my ear. "You call this giving up?"

"It certainly looks like it. There's no need to get all defensive over this."

"Stop that."

"What, did I hurt your ego too much-?"

"-Forget it!" I snap, throwing my hands in the air in frustration. "You're just bored and are looking to ditch me! How would this work anyway, you expect me to believe inherent super powers are like the hiccups?"

"Believe me, dear," Yukari begins with a sigh, "once you know Gensokyo as well as I do, nothing will surprise you anymore."

"That's not what matters." I groan, sitting in the soft grass cross-legged, "It doesn't seem like I'm going to get this under wraps so soon. I mean, have you actually done this before?" Yukari insists she has, several times in fact, leaving me to hold my forehead in my hands, utterly stumped. I simply needed a breather, that's all! I needed to focus on this with a clear mind and give it my best shot. Okay, so an ability. I've got it, nobody else does. Something uniquely my own. I tilt my head to one side, staring off into the distance.

…Huh. Come to think of it, I can remember once, I did something…odd. Yeah, yeah! It was in middle school, something happened that really freaked me out! Agh, if I could just remember, I'd be straight out of here and home free! I groan audibly, running a hand through my hair frantically.

"Is something the matter?" Yukari questions with a blink. I hold up a hand to say I'm alright, and also to shush. Probably not the smartest move to wave off a powerful youkai, but I was so close.

 

It was at home, back when I was still little and living with my parents. We had a nice yard and a small garden at that time, and I always enjoyed it back there.

_"Mommy, the vegetables are ready!"_

_"What? But it hasn't been one day- Did you steal food from the store? You know stealing is bad!"_

_"No! They grew right here! Please believe me, mommy-!"_

_"Go to your room! We need to have a serious talk about stealing food from the store! Let's hope God forgives you!"_

It's all coming back to me now. My mother thought I stole vegetables from the store. No sign of my presence at the store could be found, though. All the same, my mother wouldn't stop watching me after that incident. I've never seen her that invested in me for quite a while.

 

"Hey, focus!"

 

A certain voice reminds me I've someplace to be, so I return to the real world with a sigh. At least not yell at me. I twist about to see the blonde youkai standing over me with a look of extreme impatience.

"So," Yukari begins, arms a-folded, "anything crossed your mind? Do you have an idea?"

"Well, there is this one thing. You see, this one time, I-" Once again, for what must be the umpteenth time, a sentence is cut off as soon as it is formed. From the gap in which we arrived here, a massive explosion can be heard, as well as muffled curses and laughing. Yukari and I both blink some at this. What we do not share, however, is the ill-boding grin slowly overtaking the Border Youkai's features. I turn to face her, only to find that the grin in mention is now directed towards me.

…Definitely unsettling.

"I hope you've figured something out indeed, my dear girl…" Yukari's grin doesn't fade, moving her hand ever-so-slowly towards the back of my collar, "because I do believe you are going to need it!" With that exclamation, the hand roughly pushes me back into the gap, I only managing to give a loud yelp.

 

~~

Was...I thrown into a middle of a fight?! Oh no, this wasn't good at all. Did Yukari know this was going on? I can barely avoid being vaporized as the gigantic laser rips through the ground at the shrine's entrance! Luckily, it wasn't a direct hit-the ground in front, just kind of spattered all over the place. Seriously, though! Ah…need to catch my breath…that was so intense I-

Another laser was shot from above, causing me to jump with fear. This was definitely something I didn't want to mess with! My head follows the source of the sound to see Reimu nimbly dodge the beam, shooting at…a witch? As yes, she looks like a black-and white witch riding on that broom! …Wait, why does this sound a bit familiar?

"Just give it up and get lost Marisa!"

"No way! I ain't had a good fight in ages anyway, ze!"

…Marisa. Marisa Kirisame? What a coincidence. I can see why Reimu wasn't keen on the idea that I had met her previously. A cute face, destructive demeanor, and enough firepower to destroy an entire city-

Huh. Why do I smell smoke?

…! Oh hell! The shrine's caught fire! I stumble over my feet towards the ball of flame that's slowly creeping up the porch. What do I do? Damnit, I'll have to try something at this point! Yukari tossed me out here indeed, but it was certainly for a purpose. My ability, or at least what I expect it to be, it might be helpful here! I slowly stretch my hands towards the burning planks, the heat creeping ever-upward towards the door. This is it, moment of truth. What does fire need to survive? Oxygen. I'll just have to-!

Long grass, vines and small little bushes began to sprout onto the porch, growing bigger every second. First the porch, then the flames, which the plants overtook and smothered. After all, green doesn't burn easily. The deed done, I sigh and survey the damage. The planks are for the most part charred and smoking, but otherwise it's not so bad, if you look past all of the green plants overtaking the planks. Sadly, the plants were slowly dying without me even doing a thing, which then left me with dead plant remains. It was sad to see but it was hard to keep them alive. I stand from my kneeling position, wiping the sweat from my brow. Whew, glad that's over.

I wasn't paying much attention to the fight anymore, maybe cheering once or twice while staring at the dead plant remains that surrounded the planks. That day in the garden, years ago, I picked vegetables that were fully grown and ripe only after a few minutes when we planted them. I saw them grow in front of my eyes, whenever I got closer, faster the process went. The garden afterwards was a huge mess of vines, bushes and trees that showed up when I went out, almost like a forest growing around me. My danmaku itself were plants I grew.

…I understand now. That day I grew those plants. I controlled them on my whim, and when I wanted vegetables at that time, I got them. It was in my control.

 

That's my ability. That's my power. Controlling nature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter. This will be made up in due time!


	5. Synthesize

Alright then. After the realization that I was some kind of living fertilizer for growing all of these plants, I noticed something very important. Mainly that the explosions overhead have died down a little. My curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to take a little peek and check out exactly what was going on.

Huh. Well isn't this pretty fun looking. The reason being because clearly, a battle of the most epic proportions took place here...

And I missed it! What a shame!

 

Reimu hovers in place above the shrine grounds; her ribbon is torn, left sleeve practically falling off, and robe adorned with scratches. Marisa...doesn't seem much better off. Her hair is frayed, her blouse is mangled, and her hat has a big hole in the brim from some well-placed danmaku burst.

Both are panting a bit heavily, loud enough for me to hear from down here, indicating it's about time for them to wrap this up. I really hope they do, and even if they don't…no more lasers, please, I don't want this place to become a jungle.

Marisa grits her teeth, fixing her hat to its proper place before pulling out…Oh. A little card. How cute! Wait.

-! That's gotta be a-

"Magic Sign: Stardust Reverie!"

Just as I thought.

 

Marisa shoots forward on her broom at a speed simply too much to even blink at, a blue aura flared up around her, leaving star-shaped danmaku in her wake. Reimu on the other hand, looks a bit shocked! Is this one new to her, maybe a change in tactic?

"Aaaaagh!"

Ah, I guess not. The moment that broom made contact with her middle, she just crumpled! Not to mention getting sent flying into your own shrine can't help matters. Reimu pries herself from the paneling, holding her back. Huh. Maybe that crack was her spine, not the boards? Reimu raises her arms to either side of her, a card clutched tightly in the space between the middle and index finger on her right side.

"Errrrrgh! SPIRIT SIGN FANTASY ORB!"

A beautiful, elegant armada of rainbow-colored orbs burst out from around Reimu, seeking a now very intimidated witch.

"Ha! Like I'll let you hit me, ze!" Marisa began ducking and weaving for dear life. She's looking a bit confident, she's almost broken through Reimu's attack.

Hold on, now what's this?

Marisa gets a tad too confident and stretches out on her broom, nearly losing her balance in the process. As she's fumbling to get seated once more, she fails to notice the one orb that was smart enough to hang back fast approaching.

On contact, the noise of what sounded like shattering glass could be heard. Marisa, nailed in the head by the orb, spirals off her broom. The blonde witch continues twisting through the air until her crown makes contact with the tree I leveled earlier. Oh god, was she okay? Even if I was shot at and nearly killed by this girl, not caring for one who is hurt is a pretty dickish move. As I quickly make my way to the crash site and Reimu descends, I can't help but wonder about what I just saw.

Those Spell Cards…they really do seem powerful. I mean, if Marisa hadn't hit Reimu, she probably would've smashed through the shrine and kept on going. And that 'Fantasy Orb' trick, talk about power! Ahh...It was definitely too cool.

 

"Uh, hey…" I extend my hand towards the wiped out witch, who sits against the stump rubbing her head and cringing. "Need some help there?" The blonde witch finally noticed my presence since Yukari chucked me here, and takes the offered hand with a smile and a giggle.

"Heh-heh! You look kinda stupid, ze."

I nearly jump back, feeling a bit offended. I haven't even met her, and she already thinks so much of me? For shame! Maybe I should change my approach next time!

 

~~

 

We sit around Reimu's table after the two have picked themselves up and cooled down a bit. Despite such a rough battle, it seems like they're getting along pretty well!

"Wow, best match I've had in a long time!" Marisa grins with an eye shut. "Glad to see the Hakurei shrine maiden hasn't gotten soft!"

"Soft? Really, now?' Reimu scoffs, eyebrow raised. "Remind me, Marisa, you didn't say-exactly how did that stump taste, again?"

I couldn't help but to chuckle quietly, turning my head away. Marisa, practically reeking of indignance turns away with her nose up.

"Hm! It ain't my fault 'Reimu never loses' is the law of the land, ze." Marisa tries to keep this up…until she breaks down into a fit of laughter, one which Reimu is eager to share in. I opt to grin and sip my tea. At least they weren't fighting! It was nice to see a change of atmosphere between these two. After all, the first impression I got from these two weren't exactly the best at first. "Ah, yeah! Speaking of that stump, you caused that tree to blow up didn't ya?"

"…Huh?" I completely zoned out there for a second, rubbing my head awkwardly.  "Oh, yeah! Just some danmaku basics, nothing major~" I wave off, trying my best not to seem too pompous.

It was harder than I thought it would be.

 

"Nothing major, eh? Well, if you ask me, that's gotta be some pretty powerful bullets for a newbie." Marisa grins, giving me the ever-sought nod of approval. "We ain't been properly introduced yet, have we? Marisa Kirisame, ordinary witch, pleased to meetcha, ze!" I give her a small smile, bowing my head. "Oki Arika. It's a pleasure."

"Anywho, I bet you could beat all a' Rumia's spell cards in a few minutes with shots like that, ze!"

"Well, Rumia's not that impressive, Marisa. Not even close. Not to mention that was the result of a shot she charged up, a kind of time gap danmaku battles don't usually give." Reimu addresses firmly.

"Yeah, but just like you said, not impressive, so there ya go. Maybe we could rent her out as a practice dummy?"

"Hey?" My piping up grabs both their attentions. "I don't meant to interrupt you guys, but something happened while you were fighting it out up there." My response is a witch head tilting and a shrine maiden blinking. Ah, they didn't notice it? I couldn't help but frown. "Well while you were fighting, the shrine caught fire, and I grew some plants and-"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa." Reimu leans in closer, raising a brow. "You decided to garden while my shrine was on fire? What did they teach you as a child?"

"…No, not like that." The two kept staring at me, clearly confused. "I can make plants grow, manipulate them in other words. I smothered the fire that way, you know. Fire can't live without oxygen after all. And...before that, I absorb the light energy from the sun to power up my shots. That's why the tree is all gone...Ah, Marisa? You are a witch right?"

The blonde blinks, giving me a slow nod. I begin to smile. "Can you make one bullet of danmaku and just hold it there?" Marisa now has an incredulous look on her face.

"Why, you gonna absorb that?"

"Yes, actually." For a moment, there is silence. "Look, I'm not stupid, or crazy, or both, just please do it. I can't explain otherwise."

"Fine, fine." Marisa mutters, extending her flattened palm on which a yellow star appears. "Jus' don't blame me when it pops on ya, ze." I prod the star once with my index finger. As predicted, the star breaks into tiny particles, while Reimu and Marisa both adopt a face of pure confusion. The yellow points of light are then sucked into my extended finger, the energy pulse traveling through my body, to my other hand.

I hold that hand out, palm up, before out of seemingly nowhere, a leaf appears. The leaf appeared to be floating in my hand, and after a second passed, the leaf began to grow and multiply, transforming itself into a vine that quickly clings onto my arm, wrapping itself around me. Ah, it was really gripping my arm tightly, as red marks began to form where the vine was. As expected, the light made it stronger.

"…Well now." Reimu finally speaks after some moments.

"Yeah, ze."

"Ahh, it certainly is neat, isn't it...~" I boast with a satisfied grin. Reimu rolls her eyes and folds her arms. "Don't feel too special. I'm guessing that's why you went with Yukari?" I nod in affirmation, running a hand through my hair.

"So...Can we call you a plant now?" Marisa snickers. "I think 'shrine plant' would fit nicely!"

"Hey!" I immediately burst, pointing a leafy finger at her. "At least I don't sit around!" Marisa waves her hand in the air coolly, putting off my unnecessary defensive acts.

"Come on come on, it wasn't even that bad. You get too worked up about yourself, ze~" She props her head on her hands while her elbows are propped on the table. At least she's interested. Reimu, on the other hand just sighs, her expression quite bored. Too bad.

I sigh, continuing on. "Anyways, the growing part itself is easy. The only problem is the maintenance and the effort. I could only grow so much for a small period of time before it completely collapsed. It's almost like holding your breath." Marisa nods, while Reimu actually seems intrigued by that.

"In other words," Reimu begins, "You'll have to train your body to get used to maintaining the plants alive, and figure out where the ultimate limit is."

"That's probably the best course of action for you at this rate, ze!" Marisa confirms, sitting up fully.

I couldn't help but to smile warmly. These two have been real accommodating, and are very friendly overall. Already, the idea of living in Gensokyo is appealing to me, even if a part of me still longed for my small apartment back. Plus work, I missed those schedules a bit, excluding the sitting around all day waiting for people to come around.

 

"Hey you know..." I begin quietly, twirling a strand of hair. "I was thinking of going to…what'd you call it? The Scarlet Devil Mansion." Reimu and Marisa go blank at that.

"Hm? Why you wanna go there?" Marisa quips.

"Ah, you wanted to apologize?" Reimu asks. I nod.

I give them both a pout. "Well, that girl Meiling must sure feel terrible after what happened over there. I mean, I would be if I was her. It's a bit unfair after all, I just want to start off on the right foot..." I trail off, the idea of a scary huge youkai who can rip your head off trying to hunt me down clouded my mind. Better apologize before she comes for revenge or something of the sort. Reimu could only sigh, probably not in favour of my idea but she seems to not want to object.

"If you are that set on going, you really shouldn't go alone. Even with your power, it won't matter- Meiling's mostly a melee fighter, and she holds grudges. Marisa here would know."

"Not my fault Remi's got such a crap guard, ze."

"…Yes, sure. Anyway, normally I'd help you out. However, it's late, and I was going to head to the human village tomorrow, so…"

"Well, I'll take her." Me and Reimu both give Marisa a baffled look. "…What? I was gonna see Patchy again tonight, so I figure why not go for a two for one deal?"

"Ah, if that's all," I stand, stretching out my arms, "we should probably get going, hm?"

"Ready when you are, ze!" Marisa grins from ear to ear as she stands, twirling her broom and tilting the brim of her hat.

"Hold it." Reimu grabs my wrist. I look her in the eyes, the miko's expression a firm one. "Listen up: stay with the witch. Don't stray, don't explore, don't even peek your head out of a window, if it tickles your fancy. If you get yourself eaten, Yukari's never going to leave me be." I understand now that this is just Reimu's way of showing concern. I give her a smile to show I understand, before taking on a pout.

"Don't worry! We both have this under control~" I give her a wink and a grin. Reimu simply rolls her eyes with a sigh.

"If I find you two in trouble, expect a nice lengthy lecture!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" I head out the door, where Marisa's eager to get going. "I'll see you later on, okay?" The miko waves back as we head into the crisp night air.

"C'mon, then!" Marisa takes her position on the broom, leaving some space at the back. "Here, hop on, ze!"

"If you say so!" I slide one leg over and have a seat. I begin to silently pray for my safety with this witch. "Ready when you are! Just…don't drop me, please."

"No worries! Takeoff!" The broom rises steadily into the air, tilting towards the mansion I'd seen following my arrival. I take one last look towards the shrine, where one of my new friends was likely getting ready for bed. Can't say I can blame her. Once this is over, I'll turn in, myself. With Marisa in front of me looking straight ahead for a good view of what's ahead, the broom takes off, reducing our silhouettes against the night sky into a misshapen blur.


	6. Cherry Bomb

_"Have you prayed today, Oki?"_

 

_I was in my mother's lap, her arm wrapped around my small waist while the other combed my hair gently. I didn't fight back, I simply stayed put. My body was too weak to deny this treatment, and even if I got out of her hold, it would only cause my mother to become even more angry at me._

_To them, I was a charm. I was pampered and kept at home, with a tutor and everything. I was rarely alone, always with one parent by my side. I didn't understand this at all. At first, I thought this was how parents always treated their kids, but then I slowly got sick of it. I detested it. The attention, the pampering, the constant religious aura in my house that I was forced to swallow down and accept. It felt like I was being prepared for a play for awfully too long. It was endless._

_"Mommy, can I go out to the park today?"_

_Her hand stopped petting me, her grip around my waist tightening up. I had to squirm a bit, trying to signal her to stop holding me so tight. My mom complied with a low sigh._

_"Didn't I tell you that we have guests coming over? We have to prepare for them."_

_I grimaced. It was those religious people again. They take care of the special places and would come over to ask me things. Whenever they come over, my hair is in a too tight bun and I was forced into pretty clothing to make them feel welcome. 'I had to look my best!' My mom would constantly remind me. I wanted to rip it all off._

_That day my grandfather gave me the cat charm. He told me that if I kept it with me, I would be happy. The trust me and my grandfather had was unbreakable. I could talk to him about anything and everything and I was so happy._

_"Make yourself proud, Oki." He told me repeatedly, ruffling my hair with his toothy grin._

 

…I can remember that memory, even though that time seems so far away. I couldn't help but sigh, reminiscing in the nostalgia. I really do owe that man a lot. I doubt I'd have enough sense to be the self-supporting person today if he hadn't put faith into me at an early age. It's not something I could have picked up on my own either.

Makes me all the gladder to have my cat charm back in my possession, even if it is back at the shrine. I wouldn't want to lose it.

"Whoa, careful!" Marisa's voice rings out from reality, making me realize I was tilting on the broom at a dangerous angle. "Whew, you were almost falling off! Not sure I would've caught ya, either! You feelin' alright, ze?" I blink in the moonlight a few times before shaking my head, regaining my focus.

"No no, I just...want to get this over with." Man, I must be more tired than I thought. No wonder Reimu was so firm about the do's and don'ts of going on this little trip. "Don't worry about it, Marisa. Are we almost there?"

"Yep! Look up ahead!" I follow the witch's eager gaze to find myself looking upon a pristine lake.

Ah! This is the same one as before! We really are close to it, now. Marisa lowers the broom's altitude, bringing us down to the point where my feet are almost skimming the water. This lake really is a sight for sore eyes, day or night. Before, the sun's rays glittered and danced about the surface. Now, the reflection of the moon and stars glides alongside us, an extra companion for this leg of the trip. All of this and…

…and…Marisa's eying the surrounding blue rather intently. I wonder what's gotten into her?

"Huh." She mumbles. "Weird. Normally, the idiot's out to greet me by now…"

"Who are you talking about?" Marisa snaps out of it, her slight shock sending a jolt through the broom. Woah, this things really is only airborne through her magic, isn't it?

"Ah, nothing, really." Marisa shrugs, not looking in any way anxious, more like bored. "I was kind of expecting a interruption, but I guess she's not around, ze. Oh, well," She grins again, "more energy for the task at hand!"

"Wait, wha-HEY!" As we reach the other side of the lake, Marisa mentally commands the broom to halt. It does just that of course. However, I think I nearly dislocated both my shoulders in trying and failing to stay on it. The end result, of course, was me falling straight past Marisa and towards the ground, then skidding through the grass and dirt. "Ouch…agh, Marisa!"

"My bad, ze!"

"Thanks a lot!" I pick myself up, slapping the unwanted filth from my attire. A quick check reveals my arms are more or less just fine, and the rest of me had virtually no form of harm. "You now owe me a clean dress after this...Hah..."

"Well," Marisa smirks, starting off past me, "We gonna do this, or what?"

"That depends," I shrug, following behind, "what would 'or what' be?"

"Stand here indefinitely until you agree, ze." It takes me half a second to submit. It's freezing out here, anyway. Marisa goes right up to Meiling, asleep on the chair at her post. This is either extreme dedication, or the entire absence of it. I mean, she's sleeping again, but to be out here in this wea- What is Marisa doing?

 

Marisa inhales deeply, hunched over the sleeping redhead.

"Wait! Marisa, please don't-"

"HEEEEEEY MEIL-ING!" I hid my face in second-hand embarrassment. I couldn't hide from this now, even if it wasn't my doing. Ah, why didn't I wait another day or so to come here with Reimu?!

Meiling practically shoots up from her slumber, the unfortunate wooden chair toppling in the process. She lands in the ready position, one fist outstretched for battle while the other rubs her eyes. Finally awake to a suitable extent, the guards glances about to see who has awoken her, and by extension preventing any of her superiors from catching her asleep. She first notices Marisa. That's good. Hate her, not me.

"K-Kirisame!" Meiling leaps back, crouching in a battle stance. "You've come to bother the mistress and Patchouli again, haven't you?"

"You know me so well, ze."

"Well, not this time!" She stands up straighter, palm directed towards the unfazed Marisa. "Prepare yourself, because I-"

"I'm not here to play with you today. She," Marisa here waved towards me, "wanted to talk with ya. Somethin' about apologizing for whatever happened between you two." Meiling looks towards me. Her eyes glow again. The fangs pop out. I begin to regret my kindness.

"Wait! H-Hold on a minute!" Meiling loses intensity slightly, arms folded and tapping her foot. "I-I wanted to apologize to you for before!" She totally doesn't buy this.

"You can't fool me, coward!" Meiling growls, "you're just trying to distract me from Marisa! Have you no low to which you'll stoop?"

"I'm serious!" I actually shout this time, bringing both the girls by the wall a look of surprise. I...didn't mean to shout. I can feel myself going red. "Ah, that is, I didn't mean to be such an ass before. I mean, you were being pretty hostile from the get-go," Meiling's face reddens and she glares off to the side, I'm guessing self-conscious, "but I didn't want to distract you from your work! I promise! I was only lost! Ahhh, basically, I…" I pause, sighing harshly, "I'm sorry, okay?"

"…Well, now." Meiling wears a blank expression, not certain how to respond. "I suppose that is noble of you…even though you were such a coward before…I'll tell you what: I'll accept your apology."

I grin. Yes!

"On a condition, of course."

...What.

 

"You were with Reimu, right?" Meiling's expression has softened considerably, though she still has a face of extreme intolerance. Whatever it was, I'll just have to go with it. I nod to her question. "You must have some familiarity with danmaku, especially if this maniac-"

"I take it in stride, ze."

"-is an acquaintance of yours. So!" She puffs out her chest, looking me square in the eyes. "Here is how we shall settle this. If you can best me in a duel of danmaku, I'll accept your feeble apology. If I win, then…hm." I have to address this, or nothing will get done.

"Then…what?" Meiling stops stroking her chin and nods confidently.

"I get…one favor from you. Anything. You do look like someone who would serve others with that getup, after all!" I begin to pout and cross my arms. Low! My indigence does not escape Marisa, who cups her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, Oki! Go get her, ze!" I shoot Marisa the fiercest glare I can. I'll make sure to not forget about this. I turn to Meiling, returning her gaze and nod.

"Okay. I accept." Meiling smiles broadly at this. I see I've gained some approval, thank goodness.

"Very well, Oki. Prepare yourself!" Wait, I'm forgetting something. Oh, right!

"-Hold on!"

"Hm?" Meiling sighs with impatience. "Now what?"

"Could we do this, um, without Spell Cards?" Meiling's face twists in confusion. "It's just, well, I don't have any, and what kind of fight would this be if not a fair one?" The girl considers this a moment, then lowers her head in defeat.

"I suppose…now then, anything else?" I shake my head. "Good! Brace yourself!"

I steadied myself, pushing back a strand of hair behind my ear. My stomach is turning and twisting fiercely, and my mouth goes dry. This is it, moment of truth. I raise my hand in the air, keeping my breath steady.

"Bring it on, Meiling!" No going back.

"Banzai!" Meiling kicks off the ground, a geyser of earth erupting in her wake. Marisa clutches her hat so it won't be blown away, grinning eagerly at the prospect of watching a fight. I lower myself to the ground, bending my knees as the other charges my way, fist raised to strike me down. I'm not running blindly this time! I lunge to the right allowing the swing to race by my shoulder.

Meiling is back on her feet in no time at all. The martial artist begins to punch the air wildly, sending rainbow colored darts of light my way. In the face of the impending hail, I attempt to roll out of harms way yet again. For the most part, it works.

"Agh!" I hiss through my teeth as the a fierce some burning bursts in the right side of my ribcage. I understand the efficiency of danmaku, now. Each individual shot is like a burning prong stabbing me in the side. Teeth gritted, I glance down to my dress, where four scorching holes remain. The individual pain has worn off quickly, but a dull ache remains in the general area. I can't afford to take another hit there.

"Come on,Oki!" My opponent roars, flying towards my again. "You expect me to forgive you so easily? Show me your will!"

"You want some of this?" I bark back, adrenaline flooding my veins, as well as another power. "Fine! You've got it! Don't tell me that I didn't warn you!" I duck as Meiling's leg sweeps through where my head was moments ago. Swiping my arm over my hunched form, I land a satisfying punch on the side of her head with my closed fist. Meiling cries out, clutching the side of her head and twisting to the side to avoid any further attacks. Taking this opportunity, I aim my hand in her direction and let loose three shots. The orbs fly her way, but Meiling is much too skilled to be taken off guard so easily. She punches one to the side, then backhands the second. Luckily for me, my danmaku packs a bigger punch than either of us expected, and the blast bursts against her hand. Meiling quickly withdraws the injured hand, forgetting for a moment that there is another. That's all the time the shot needs to make contact with her head, arching her form back and allowing a brief stumbling.

I'm not certain where this confidence came from. One thing's for sure, though: I'm not about to have it wasted. I charge forth, my feet thumping heavily against the raised dirt beneath and swing my left fist towards the now-exposed chin. This was quickly revealed to be a bad move.

Meiling catches the fist, gripping it with the same unbearable force as before. The motion sweeps the red locks from her face, revealing a devilish grin beneath. Helpless to fight back, I was swung over the girl's back then flung forward, my upper back, shoulders and cranium crashing against the brick wall. My mouth fall open in a noiseless choke, the rest of my body temporarily out of commission due to such a savage blow to my head. Meiling comes at my again, leg raised high for an axe kick of the century.

I hear her rushing forward, unable to lift my head, and my mind begs for some form of action. When the battle began, I had felt some odd power going through me as well as that rush of adrenaline. That power now made itself known as I lifted my arms to try and block the kick…

…and a ball of glowing yellow light appeared.

The ball in my outstretched palm squished inwards when Meiling's leg came crashing down, and we were both stuck in that position for a moment.

"Hah?" I stayed in shock for a moment, trying to figure out what just happened. Wait, wasn't that-

"Ah!" Meiling gasped at the yellow object what blocked her blow. "Wh-What's-?"

The ball inflated, pushing us further apart. Then inflated more. And more still, until…

Neither I nor Hong could have been prepared for when the swelling ball burst in a grand explosion of light, knocking me against the brick once more and sending the guard for a loop.

"Ack!" Meiling chokes this senseless sound as she skids along the ground. I knew that this was the opening I'd waited for.

 

"Haaaaaa!" I exhaled the sound, the noise level growing in intensity as sunlight taken in by the grass below was sucked into my body through my feet. How long did Reimu say a full charge had taken? Five seconds?

Five…

Meiling flipped to her feet, rubbing her sore back a moment.

Four…

The guard took a moment to regain her bearings, before remembering the battle.

Three…

Meiling looked to the wall to see her opponent setting up for a strong attack.

Two…

I raised my head and my hand to see her flying my way, fist engulfed with a globe of shimmering power.

One…

Meiling looked directly into my palm and quickly regretting attacking so hastily.

Zero.

With nothing else she could do, Meiling cried out in shock as she was engulfed by a massive orb of green light and carried into a tree in the shot's path.

Humorously enough, this tree exploded like the last one to face my charged shot.

 

A wide dust cloud was kicked into the air, the particles filling my lungs and forcing a cough or two. I wave the air frantically, stumbling through the blinding cloud and eventually make my way to the stump with a limp.

Meiling lays there, belly slumped over the hard wood, groaning all the while. I hesitantly reach out and tap her shoulder, watching the girl slowly turn over. Her eyes are a bit glazed and she looks to be aching a great deal, but otherwise it seems no major harm done. Thank goodness, or I'd feel pretty guilty.

"What're you doing…?" Meiling murmurs. I just stare blankly, having no clue what she meant. "...It was a fair battle, wasn't it? Hehe..." I just chuckle some at that and gently take her wrist, helping the girl slowly get back to a standing position.

"Alright, Mei, here you go." I say in a chastising manner, feeling that I can afford to be a little more casual with her, now. "Sorry about that, just…well, I never said I wouldn't go down fighting."

"You expected to be defeated?" Meiling asks with a shocked look.

"...Honestly, yes. I am quite new at this, what else should I have expected?" I explained in a soft tone.

"That last shot," She groans, stumbling forward as I try to help her keep steady, "It packed about as big a punch as one of Reimu's yin-yang orbs…"

"I am not sure." I frown, "I think that might be an exaggeration." Reimu's supposed to be pretty powerful, right? I seriously doubt one of my standard tricks could match one of hers. Especially if she can take down Marisa as casually as she did.

"Well, possibly. Still, you should take some pride in that." Meiling reassures me, tilting her head to one side. I blink once before smiling back.

"Thanks." I rub the back of my head in a sheepish fashion. "I mean, you're clearly the better between us, so I appreciate that!" Meiling giggles some, then puffs out her chest, smacking her fist to it.

"I should think so! I am not guard to my lady Remilia for no reason!" Suddenly, she becomes shocked. "M-My lady!" Meiling anxiously swivels her head around. Looking to the wall, I can see why. Marisa is gone.

"That rat!" She exclaims, clenches her fists. "She sneaked in during our match!" Meiling forces herself from my supportive grasp, approaching the manor. "Oki, you are forgiven, now please leave!"

"Hey, wait up!" I'm quick to catch her by the arm. "What's the big deal? Let me go in with you!" She's not nearly as badly harmed as I had thought, but still, I wouldn't want her to be slowed down too much because of what I did.

"Agh…I can see there won't be any changing your mind?" I shake my head firmly. "Fine. Very well, but stay close, and tread cautiously!" Meiling quickly contradicts her statement when she slams the double doors open and charges inward. With an exasperated sigh, I follow close behind.

 

The main room in very wide open, some couches are placed around a glass table in the corner near the door, a spiraling staircase lies towards the back, while in the center of the back wall a doorway lies open to what appears to be a kitchen. Aside from that, one thing stands out: this place is called 'Scarlet Devil Mansion' for a reason. The walls, the, stairs, the carpeting…it's all scarlet! I don't know about this…'Remilia' person, but this shade of red is personally a tad too fancy for my tastes. My eyes dart about for some sign of destruction, anything to indicate Marisa's presence.

Finally, I notice a door heading down, covered in scratches, burn marks, and cracked in every corner, with a barred opening towards the top. Bingo! Racing to the door, I firmly clutch the knob.

"OKI, STOP!" The earsplitting shriek catches my attention. I look to Meiling on the stairs, who appears absolutely horrified. "What on earth are you doing? Do not open that door!"

"What?" I whimpered. "This door is trashed, so I thought-"

"Forget that door, come away from that door!" Meiling is still frantic at my refusal to leave the door alone. "Marisa will be in the library, not there! S-So please just come along and leave that door out of mind!" Hesitantly, I rush to the steps and start up them, following the now-very-much-relieved Meiling. I look back towards the door.

What's the big deal? I resist the urge to scoff as I look away. Besides the run down appearance, the damage, the glowing red eyes- Huh?

I look back to the door. There behind the bars, a wide open pair of eyes framed by barely visible blond locks preys upon my every move.

I take a step up the stairs.

They're still watching.

Another step.

Watching still.

And another. And another. And another- Oh god please get that gaze away from me. I charge up the steps, not bothering to see if the eyes are still following.

  
They were.


	7. Viridiplantae

"Star Sign "Gravity Beat" !" The kleptomaniac of a blonde aimed her broom towards the sky, letting loose a burst of danmaku that rocketed upwards, then immediately changed angle and went straight for her opponent. However, the violet haired girl would not be defeated so easily. Raising her arms to either side, a barrier appeared at her front, on which the danmaku harmlessly exploded.

"Hmph. Toying with me, are you?" The girl seemed far less than amused, knowing full well this wasn't Marisa giving her all. It was simply insulting that she wouldn't bring out the big guns for a magician of her caliber! "Very well." She raised her arm, a card between her index and middle finger. "Fire Metal Sign," She slapped the card against the ground, " "St. Elmo's Pillar" !"

Marisa adopted an expression of pure "oh, shit" as she quickly crossed her arms in front of her face, knowing she'd have no time to dodge as a column of fire erupted by her feet at an angle, blasting the witch for a loop and slamming her against one of the surrounding bookcases, back-first.

"-Kuh!" Marisa's eyes went wide and she gritted her teeth from the shock to her spine. However, this quickly faded. Soon enough, she was meeting the eyes of the enemy, chuckling with a darkened expression.

"Well, if you wanna get serious this soon…" Her hand emerged from her blouse, hakkero clutched tightly, "I can oblige, Patchouli!" Marisa quickly grabbed her broom and charged towards who can now be identified as the Scarlet Devil Mansion's librarian Patchouli, who bore a dull expression just as she always does despite the approaching Marisa.

 

"Let's kick it up a notch, ze!"

 

* * *

 

"Get aw-aaaaaay~!" I shouted dramatically, beating down the next three who thought it funny to try and blast my backside. This is so irritating, why are the maids attacking us? "Hey, Meiling? You're the guard, for crying out loud, take command!" Meiling responded by decking another two fairies as she flew.

"Aren't you paying attention, Oki? This is me taking command!" With that said, another tiny maid received a nasty roundhouse.

It'd been a good three minutes since we made it up the steps, and my head began to hurt at all these eye irritating fairies.

"What good are these guys, anyway? The first sign of entry and they all stop working?" I take this moment to swat a straggler who was indignantly gnawing on my shoulder. She bounced off the floor, smacking into a few of her compatriots like a bowling ball into pins.

"Hm? Oh, they hardly work, period." Meiling offhandedly stated as she slammed the face of another into the carpet.

"What?" I practically stopped here. "Then who is in charge of the upkeep?"

"The head maid handles pretty much everything," My companion replied, dusting herself off, "Can control time and space, too. It's all really cost-effective in the long run."

"Ah?" I pick up the pace, running alongside her, "What is her danmaku?"

"She throws knives."

"Woah? Really? That's...really useful. Huh." I blink, running a hand through my hair. Jealousy starts to form in the bottom of my gut. That maid was so lucky...-

"Focus!" The guard's hand quickly hit the back of my head, causing me to jump.

"Owwww!" I rub the now sore spot on my head. "Sorry, it's just…my mind was somewhere else." She raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, well, maybe you shouldn't ask any more questions…" Agreed. We need to keep moving, and all this talking wasn't getting us anywhere. With that handled, the two of us continue our trek to the library, where sounds of battle have only been getting louder.

 

* * *

 

"I'm just saying," I insist, leaping over a toppled pillar, "it would just save a lot of time if we formed some kind of combination attack for the next wave of fairies!"

"Oki, what is the actual reason?" Meiling knows me too well, somehow, to be fooled.

"Ah? I feel so offended! You think I would have another reason? Come on~" A groan.

"Oki, I know you do not want to take to much credit for the earlier match, but please do not deliberately lower my opinion of you."

A frown formed on my lips, causing me to cross my arms in embarrassment. That was the opposite of what I wanted her to respond with.

"...Let's just go." I follow after her yet again, with less enthusiasm. "It is close now, right?" Meiling confidently nods, giving me a bit of relief.

 

For a while, I could have sworn she was just plain lost. These hallways are positively staggering in length, with a good five to seven rooms on either side. Funny thing is, the place didn't look even close to this big on the outside. Big, yes, but not freaking monstrous. It was almost a pain to walk all this way, and I began to regret even more my decision. Maybe I should've stayed back outside? On second thought, it was freezing out there. I wanted to keep my toes and fingers!

"Oki, eyes open! We've arrived!" True to Meiling's words, a large set of crimson double-doors stand before us. Behind them, the sounds of battle are the strongest they've ever been. That's hardly a problem though, right? Simply get in, grab Marisa, get out. Straight forward! Meiling approaches the door and motions me to come close.

"On three, we open the doors and get to the two of them, understand? As fast as possible!" I nod, to which Meiling responds with a smile. "Okay. One…two…," I brace myself against the handle, "…three!" We slam the doors open and charge in.

 

"HEY, MARISA! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?"

"PATCHOULI! ARE YOU INJURED?"

 

Our response to our simultaneous shout is two projectiles heading our way: a large glowing star, and a gear-shaped blade.

"Wh-Whoa!" I absentmindedly yell, ducking down to the ground just that to avoid the gear. I looked pretty silly, but hey, at least it worked.

"Hey, Oki! You didn't get your ass kicked! Good to know, ze." Marisa seems hardly fazed, standing atop a bookcase while giving a two finger salute. I sputter incomprehensibly, flabbergasted at the lack of concern.

"You might've known had you actually stuck around!" I yell, waving my hands in the air. "That wasn't cool, Marisa!"

"You know I had something to do. Ain't my job to babysit." Marisa responds with a shrug.

My mouth stays open, no words coming out. Did she just call me a child? Me? I could slowly feel my face getting red.

"Ah, so that is how you have infiltrated." Comes a new voice. "You used her as a distraction."

 

I look over to see Marisa's opponent. She is a very short girl, perhaps five feet give or take a few inches. Her eyes are a striking violet color, and her hair matches this shade. Atop her head is an odd-looking cap with a crescent moon adorning it. The cap itself is white with an ever-so-slight tint of purple, much like her matching robe. Her skin, however, is very pale-only the slightest hint of any color remains.

"Huh?" I point to myself. "Oh, no, Marisa only brought me here, I don't have any real-" I am forced to dodge again as a globe of pale energy whizzes by. I huff, dusting off my dress. Well, it seemed like she didn’t want to listen to me either.

"Patchouli!" Meiling calls to the impatient librarian. "It's true! This person really had nothing to do with Marisa's entry!"

"Oh?" Patchouli raises an eyebrow. "Ponder this, Meiling: Marisa only snuck in while you were busy, yes?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then she served as a distraction." Her attention was on me, now. "And Marisa brought you here? She is not the charitable type, nor the type to take requests."

"I am what I am and that's all that I am. I'm a witch, ze."

"Therefore," Patchouli's gaze was an ironed one, "I can only assume Marisa brought you here as an accomplice to her scheme."

"H-Hey, wait a second!" I hold up my hands in defence.

"Oki…that's not true, is it?" Meiling gives me a hurt look. Oh no, the guilt is getting to me. I really wish I had stayed back now. Then this would have never happened!

"Of course not! You said that was a good fight, not a half hearted one, right?" I console her, laughing nervously.  Meiling bites her lip a bit, conflicted.

"C'mon, Patchy!" Marisa grins, now airborne, "You insult me! You really think I'd need a sidekick to get in here, ze?" She trusts her palm forward, stars emanating from it. "I beat up Meiling all the time!"

"Stop that~!" Meiling whines, no longer concerned about the accusation.

"See?" I ask, trying to get myself out of this mess, "Marisa just lied to me about why we were coming here! That's all!"

 

Victimizing myself wasn’t the best idea, but it was the only thing I had left to defend myself.

"Hey!" Marisa exclaimed, looking slightly offended, "I didn't lie! I said I needed to see Patchy and that's what I'm doing!"

"Seeing translates to ‘assaulting’?"

"Nah, not assault, ze! Just need to - WOAH!" Marisa looped through the air, avoiding a white beam that pierced through her previous location.

"This one…" Patchouli began through gritted teeth, annoyed that she had missed, "comes to rob me of my books!"

It was at this moment that I remembered that this was, indeed, a library. It was also now that I realized that what I had thought to be a blur of colour was actually an armada of bookcases! Thousands upon thousands! I was quite impressed!

"Begone, Marisa!"

…But I guess I didn’t really have time to admire, I suppose.

 

"Marisa, I didn't come here to babysit you!" Exclaims myself as I approach the bookcase over which she now hovers. "Please, just forget this and let's get back to Reimu's!"

"In a minute, ze!" Marisa calls without even looking in my direction. "Just wait, read a book or somethin'!"

 

Well, she's not stopping, but how can I…? Ah. The things I'll do to get what I want. I have never been on one of those rock-climbing walls, but hey, how hard can a bookcase be?

 

"Rrgh!" I grab a shelf about a foot and a half above my head, place my foot in another and begin my ascent. Well now, aside from the limited space with which to grab, this isn't so bad! Just hand over hand, foot over foot…hey, I've made it past five already! It's just like a big, academic ladder!

"Oki! Please do be careful!"

"It’s not like I’m not gonna fall! Have some faith in me!" I laugh, hoisting myself higher still.

"No, not that! It's just, if Sakuya comes by and sees dirt on the shelves, she-"

…What? She'll what?

"Meiling?"

No response. I turn my head far over my shoulder…

"Hahhh?! What the-?" Meiling was already on the floor, a knife stuck into her back. She's not bleeding but… I look towards Marisa. Did she…? No. No, she wouldn't drive a knife into somebody's spine, that much I can tell. Meiling's still moving a bit, so I can only assume she's unconscious. Aside from that, I'm at the top. I had to stay calm here, what I just saw wasn’t supposed to happen and it began to freak me out. Okay, breathe.

 

"Earth Water Sign "Naochian Deluge" !"

 

I’ll have to deal with Marisa, I guess. She's moved a bit, and for a second I was tempted to jump across these bookcases to my destination. Although on second thought, perhaps I shouldn't. The gaps between these bookcases is pretty large, and if I fall from here, it's gonna be more than a sprain. Maybe if I-

 

"Comet "Blazing Star" !"

 

Urgh! This was getting more worse by the minute! I have to talk to her, or else I’ll have to get her to come down by forceful means! Forget not jumping, I am going to do it. After all, not having faith in yourself is a toxic mentality! I move back a bit, because if I'm gonna do this, might as well make every effort to not break my neck. Running start, and...JUMP!

 

* * *

 

I certainly wasn't expecting that to happen. Thank god for foliage and vines, which I happily cling onto with my entire life depending on it. At least I made it to the other side, though not exactly on the top. I am on the sides, more specifically, and my arms are killing me from all this grabbing.  I made a mental note to never jump like that again.

"Alright," I mutter, aligning myself so that if I fall now, I'll fall on Marisa who is preoccupied, then she'll hit me, then the librarian will thank me for my help, then I can take the knife from Meiling's back, and then all will be right-

…

I gasp loudly, my grip nearly failing me.

There is something sharp against the back of my neck. The blade is not so close that I can't move to see my attacker, though. I look back, past the knife, and…

A maid? Is this Sakuya?

 

"Ah…?" It took me a moment to catch my breath, trying to figure out what was exactly going on. “...Pardon me?”

"You are intruding." She speaks coldly.

"I'm terribly sorry- I really...am..." I choke out, my tone laced with nervousness. Having a knife pressed to your neck wasn’t helping.  "Let me get the witch, and I promise you-"

"Should you value your well-being," Sakuya began, eyes narrowing, "you will leave now."

"I can't do that." I respond quickly. "No, I can't without her."

A sigh resounds from the maid.

"So be it."

 

The knife gleams wickedly as it comes back towards my throat in a swift arc.

 

* * *

 

My eyes went wide, a unintelligible yell coming out of my mouth. Before the knife could hit it's mark, I push off the wall in other flying leap, landing with a heavy thud on another bookcase, flowered plants grabbing a hold of my waist as I desperately try to grip onto the books in an attempt to escape.

"Hold on a second-!" Sakuya, however, would have none of it. Taking three knives in each hand, she swung her arm fiercely, letting the dangerous projectiles shoot through the air. I jump to the side, letting most whiz by, but two of them made a plunge in my arm.

 

I howl in pain while teetering on the edge of the bookcase, clutching my bleeding arm. Sakuya takes one more knife in hand and flies towards me, looking to end this quickly. Her response, once she was in attack range, was a head butt that sent her reeling. I yelp in pain, my spontaneous move to protect myself instead hurt me more than I thought it would. I was exhausted, my heart felt like it was pumping more than ever before, and yet somehow I was still breathing. How? How am I still alive? I just want to leave. Rubbing the sore front of her cranium, Sakuya observed as I roughly yank the knives from my arms, giving a sharp hiss from the sensation. Blood flowed a bit more freely, forming trickling streams down my arm, but something was wrong.

Despite me being so careless when removing the knives, the wounds were not any larger. In fact, they were already shrinking bit-by-bit. I didn’t pay much mind to this though. It meant nothing to me. I just want escape. I only want to leave alive.

I look up to meet Sakuya's eyes, mine shining in fear and desperation. My hands moved to make another attempt to scurry out of here before I hesitate. I need to at least try to defend myself properly, right? Make myself proud.

I take a breath, gripping onto the plant that kept hold of me. If Sakuya was allowed to have knives, why couldn’t I have something similar? I slowly pull at a leaf, pulling it until it grew out into what resembled like a long sword. Of course, plants weren't really made to become similar to swords, so I manage to cut my palm while trying to make a handle for my comfort and to not afford losing more blood. It was around half of my size, which was quite enough for me. The impromptu sword reminded me much of bamboo, though much more sharper and thinner. I point the blade threateningly towards Sakuya, the maid unimpressed.

"I...can't afford to run anymore. Let's keep this fair, alright?"

I smile slightly, happy with my words, before I dart from the bookcase, charging through the air with intent to cause great harm to Sakuya.

 

* * *

 

I grunt as I swung my sword with a great amount of force, Sakuya countering with her knives. We both forced each other away, a gust of wind resulting from the clash, fluttering our clothes. Sakuya was the first to return to the fray, taking three knives in each hand and stabbing towards me. Of course, my weapon was much larger, and could deflect the smaller knives with ease. However, Sakuya didn't stop, opting to continue her assault, slamming the points against the flat surface. That's when it all clicked.

"You-!" I raise my leg and kicked at Sakuya, my foot colliding with her side and forcing her to step back for a moment.

"I'm a bit impressed." Sakuya spoke, never letting up her guard. "Not many would recognize an attack meant to destroy their weapon."

"I don't see you as a type who would do things without reason-" I respond in a hasty voice, still barely catching my breath. "Don't...make quick assumptions."

"…Fair enough." Sakuya responded. "You've earned the right to tell me your name."

"Oki Arika." I manage to force a weak smile. " A pleasure. You are Sakuya, correct...?"

"Yes. Sakuya Izayoi, Head Maid of the my mistress Remilia." The maid reached into her apron, withdrawing a watch. "Tell me, just how well are you informed of me?" I cringed.

"…You are going to stop time, aren't you?"

A smirk.

"Time Sign "Private Square" !" A Spell Card without an actual card? No, wait- Sakuya holds her clock into the air, declaring the technique loudly. The sound of a clock ticking rings in my ears, and…

...Nothing happened?

 

I definitely heard something rip right here. What was happening? She's moving so quick I could barely make out her knife ripping into my side! No, she's not quicker, I feel slower! This is ridiculous! She can focus the slow of time on me and nothing else?

"Haaah?!" I leap backwards as far as I can. At least I had enough energy to get out of the knife's range with the vines, even though my exhaustion is slowly building up. I land a good five shelves away, and the ticking in my ear fades. Not to mention, I don't feel nearly as sluggish, thank god.

Alright, I'll have to think this through if I want to still keep my body intact. She can stop time, and won't pull any punches. However, she can only stop time for a Spell Card's duration. Simply overwhelm her defenses when she's not reaching for that watch, right?

...Urgh, my vision is starting to fail me.

"Star Sign "Dragon Meteor" !"

The roar of a laser from above behind my head reminds me: I have an ally in here!

 

"Marisa! Hah hah...Hey, Marisa!" The witch looks in my direction, a touch annoyed.

"Whaaaat? I told ya to wait, ze!" I nod my head in Sakuya's direction before showing off my cool battle cuts. Ah, the blood was getting everywhere...My head begins to throb meanwhile.. "…Oh. That changes things. Also, behind ya, ze."

"Ignoring your opponent will get you killed." I duck under the warning from Sakuya's low tone and avoid a knife through my neck. That was way too close for comfort.

Taking a deep breath, I grab a book and flung it blindly at her direction, taking the second this brings me to jump up a taller case to Marisa's level.

 

"Marisa, do you...hah...even have a plan? I think it's better to hide...urgh."

"What? Psh, I don't hide from nothin'!"

"We're against a master sorceress and a time manipulator. We are ourselves are a capable fighter and a plant who's...so tired. It's two to one and one-fourth. At least a plan..."

"…I see your point." Marisa raises a card to the air. "Star Sign "Meteoronic Shower" !" The card results in Marisa sending forth a great shower of gold and blue stars towards our respective opponents. Patchouli simply put up another barrier, while Sakuya ducks and weaves and, what looks like grazing each bullet. While I'm in awe of the technique's visual appeal, Marisa grabs me by the wrist and yanks me behind a bookcase.

 

"Agh, nuisances. Where have they gone?" Come Patchouli's voice.

"Forgive me, Miss Patchouli, I was preoccupied with the oncoming attack."

 

I was too exhausted to even comprehend what was going on. Sakuya didn't even sound-

"Alright, Oki, any ideas?"

-oh. Right. Plan...planning...

"Marisa...I can't be the one who, hah, thinks of everything..." I whined sheepishly as she releases my wrist, "My head hurts...my legs hurt, my hands especially hurt-"

"Well you did get quite a beating, ze!" The witch grinned. Was that supposed to make me feel better? I felt a sharp throb against my head, I causing me to grab her with shaky hands. No, not right now. Not when I was right in the middle of a-

"Ah...everything is getting...All dark...I am so sleepy, maybe I should...Hmmm..."

"Hey, are you okay there?" She pauses, blinking at me. "Oki, don't think of sleeping on me!"

"So-rry..."

My vision slowly faded into nothing, my body falling onto Marisa heavily as I found myself in a deep slumber.

 

* * *

 

I didn't dream much. Maybe I did, but I probably forgot it the second I remembered in my thoughts that I was supposed to be helping Marisa. Even then, I still didn't wake up. The overwhelming weight of rest kept me down, and I wasn't really complaining.

I must've slept for not that long, because when I begun to hear whatever was around me again, I still heard the voice of the maid and the librarian. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was definitely not fighting.

"Hey! She rolled on her side! That means she's awake right? Hey, Oki! Wake up, ze! You are leaving me hanging!"

I groan. No. Please leave me alone. I only wanted sleep. However, she begins to shake my once dormant body to wake me up, though all it did was make me even more cranky.

"I'm awake...-I'm awake! You can stop that, please. It still hurts..." I slowly sit up from the ground, rubbing my eyes to find out that Marisa was here plus the other two. I don't know if I felt happy about that or not. Especially when Sakuya was the one who beat me to a pulp.

"Hu? How long did you let me sleep...I wanna sleep more..."

"You can sleep once we get back to Reimu! But we are kinda busy right now!" Marisa nods towards Sakuya, who seemed quite embarrassed at something. What happened while I was out? Do I even want to know? I carefully got myself up, softly wincing in pain but managing a somewhat steady balance.

"My apologies." Sakuya bows her head towards me, her face slightly flushed. "I didn't...know about your situation beforehand."

Well, at least she wasn't trying to kill me. I had to accept the apology anyways, out of kindness. I could only give her a weak smile, a bit too dazed to come up with a good reply.

 

Clap-clap-clap…

Huh? Where's that coming from?

"Well, now, I'd been annoyed by the noise you four were making," A smooth voice sounds, "but I must say, the show was worth seeing!"

Sakuya's attention turns to a figure above us. The rest of us follow suit.

 

…Are those bat wings? And…the eyes beneath those blue strands of hair are a glowing scarlet. Not to mention those fangs were pretty long...

Uh-oh. I think this is…

"My lady!" Sakuya quickly faced the small figure. Ah, I guessed correctly.

"About time you showed up, shorty." Marisa grinned.

"…Good evening, Remi." Patchouli sighed. Remilia nodded to the three.

"Sakuya, it's good to see you attempted your duty. Patchouli, I hope you aren't too injured. And…Marisa…" The vampire spoke now through gritted teeth, "Charming as ever." She then turned to me. "Oh? And this young woman would be…?"

"Oki Arika, Gensokyo's latest import." Marisa answered for me. "She beat up your guard, ze." She followed up by jutting her thumb towards Meiling in the distance, who was finally getting up.

"It's an...absolute pleasure, Miss Remilia." I nod sheepishly, trying to keep my words as comprehensible as possible. "I really enjoy what you've done with the place...Fitting." Remilia smiles and chuckles.

"Ha-ha…yes, well, it is good to know my décor is appreciated." She lands before us, smoothing her outfit. "I, as has been said, am Remilia Scarlet, mistress to this mansion, and I extend my greetings. At least you've some better manners than other company." She shoots Marisa a look, to which the witch whistles innocently.

"At any rate, I am sure you are all famished from the battle." Remilia looks to Sakuya. "Sakuya, you are least damaged. Please prepare a meal for us, as quick as you may." Sakuya turns her eyes to me and Marisa, hesitatingly, before bowing.

"It shall be done." While bowing, she stealthily reaches into her apron and activates her watch. In the next instant, she's disappeared. Remilia's looking awful cross.

"Sakuya!" Remilia calls. "We just had a discussion regarding…never mind." She waves it off. "At any rate, you two are welcome to dinner. Think of it as…a reward for entertaining me."

Erm, I'd rather not. I would probably fall asleep by the time the main course arrives. And that would be humiliating.

"Reward or whatever," Marisa speaks while stretching, "I don't need an excuse for free food, ze."

"Yes, I'm sure." Remilia mutters irritably as Marisa walks by. Her gaze focuses on me. "Oki, yes? Were you interested?"

"I suppose, if there's enough to go around…" I muttered, twirling a strand of hair uncomfortably. I couldn't say no now, not when Marisa mindlessly agreed.

"Oh, certainly!" She gives an airy chuckle reminiscent of Yukari when I make that half hearted excuse. "Just as well, I should like to discuss certain matters…You are new here, are you not? I'd like to learn more about you."

 

As much as I enjoy talking about myself, I had an extremely bad feeling about this.

 

"Sakuya is an excellent cook, though, I insist you partake." In other words, I better get over to the dining hall.

"Ah, who am I to refuse? Ah-ha-ha…" That grin of hers doesn't fade, nor become friendlier.

"Mm, splendid. Right this way…" With no other options, I follow the Scarlet Devil through the wide doors, hoping that I had chose the right path this time.

 

 


	8. Intertwine

Funny how things work out sometimes. One minute, you're fighting for your life against a knife-slinging maid while dodging stars, fireballs, and lasers, the next you find yourself in a lavish dining hall as the guest of a small vampire.

Did I mention the knife-slinging maid who tried to kill you is now asking you what your food-based desires might be? Yeah, there's that. I wasn't even ready for all of this, and if I was, I would certainly look better. My dress was all bloody and wrinkled, while my hair was going everywhere. Sakuya offered me a brush beforehand, but I politely declined, quickly patting down my hair with my hands. To add onto that, I was still half asleep, but I tried to ignore that.

Now that this was all clear, back to addressing Sakuya.

 

"Wait-wait..." I blink at her several times, trying to make sense of her actions. "We were just fighting."

"Yes."

"You nearly disemboweled me."

"Not exactly, but yes."

"…And now you're asking me what kind of tea I would like?"

"You were not a guest of my lady then, Miss. Arika. Now you are. What would you like to drink?"

I could only sigh, rubbing the back of my head. "…Green tea, if you have any, please."

"Of course."

 

I resist the urge to sprawl myself onto the table, mostly because that would be rude table manners. Marisa sits across from Patchouli, who reluctantly left the library to be social. Marisa loudly slurps her drink before laughing.

"I gotta admit, Patchy, you got me good with St. Elmo's Pillar. Ain't seen that outta you in a while!"

"Yes, well," Patchouli speaks, swallowing a bit of bread, "as it is said, 'variety is the spice of life'."

"I thought that was laughter, ze."

Didn't Patchouli hate Marisa or something? Now they're shooting the breeze about how well they fought each other? Seeing them act this casual really put me off. I couldn't complain though, at least they weren't fighting this time.

 

"So, Oki? I take it this is satisfactory?" Remilia's voice calls my attention. The Scarlet Devil sits with her head on the backs of her hands.

"Ah? Yes, it is quite wonderful. Thank you again..." I force myself to smile, my eyes barely keeping open. At least the tea will help me a bit.

"It is my pleasure. Anyway, I'm very curious as to just how you were able to manipulate those plant life. What manner of youkai are you?"

"I'm not actually..." I begin before quieting down.

Remilia seems confused by this, a grimace crossing her features. "You do bear a human scent," She begins, sitting back a bit, "but…-"

"Ahhh, it's...my ability." No use hiding it now. I just want this over with. "I still had a bit of energy from Marisa's danmaku left to create that sword. If it is light, I can absorb it and use it to create more complicated...designs, I guess. " I rub the back of my head. Everyone is now focused on us, but Remilia doesn't look convinced. "…If you don't believe me, I-"

"Recreate it."

I blink, taken aback. "…I'm sorry?"

"The sword." Remilia specifies. "You said you absorbed Marisa’s danmaku, didn’t you? This ability is to unusual for me to take at face value, especially from a human."

"I am not sure if I have…" I muttered, averting my eyes. "I mean, I just discovered the power today, the sword was...merely a fluke. Isn't there another way?" I was exhausted and sleepy at this point, and I wasn’t even sure if I could even handle recreating the sword again. Especially after the first time I tried it. I wince slightly, taking a look down at my hands. They were still sore. Plus, it drains so much energy from me...

"I'm sorry," Remilia said bluntly, "but no."

"I should like to see this, as well." Patchouli chimed in. "This is a form of magic unknown to me, and I should like to make notes."

"I...Alright." I responded in defeat, "I'll give it a shot." These two were literally going to suck my energy energy dry, but I didn’t want to be rude. Especially in front of the Lady of the house. I take a deep breath, clenching up my right hand into a tight fist above the table. The door to the kitchen creaks open, and Sakuya is peering around the corner, the glint of her knives hard to miss. Pretending not to notice her, I raised my arm in an angle over the table. Now to create the sword.

It starts out as a small leaf inside my palm, drinking up the energy that I had left while growing even more. I made sure that this time I wouldn’t cut myself, keeping the leaf at a soft state as it begins to grow out from my palm into a straight line. Once it was a good length, it began to harden and thin itself out into a sword, and this time, didn’t cut me. I was panting at this moment, feeling drained. Well, at least the sword looks better than me.

“...Is this satisf-ory-...Satisfactory?”

Remilia glances over to Patchouli, who nods in confirmation.

"I can sense it, Remi. They're composed from the remains of Marisa’s danmaku." Remilia smiles and claps softly. I silently thank Patchouli before retracting the sword, closing my eyes for a second before reminding myself that this was definitely not over. Urgh.

"Well now, Oki, I'm convinced. That is…quite the interesting power, though." She eyes me intently. "How exactly were you aware you might have such an ability to begin with?"

"Yukari dragged me out into the middle of nowhere in order to...find out what it was, not that she was much help." Remilia goes blank. Did I say something funny? "Hm…Miss Remilia, are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh. Yes, yes." She gives a dismissive wave. "You did say…Yukari? As in Yukari Yakumo?"

"That's correct." I can't help but feel nervous. Something about the way she's considering this… "Why? Is that a problem, or-"

 

"Remilia!" Comes a voice from the other room.

"Flandre, please-" That was Meiling.

A loud thud could be heard, accompanied with quicker footsteps coming closer. Ah…did Meiling just get dropped again? The doors to the dining room swing open.

H-Huh?! It's _HER_! The one who was staring at me! Those eyes, the hair, it's…! Oh no, now she's looking right at me! Ahhh...ahaha...I just need to eat my food and keep my eyes to the table. No need to get frightened again. Yes, a good plan.

I take my knife and fork and frantically begin cutting the veal on my plate, trying to avoid eye contact. A few times I glance upward and, even as she goes to her sister, she meets my eyes every time. Finally, she actually faces Remilia.

"Remilia! I'm happy to see you!" She lightly hugs her sibling before stepping back quickly, meanwhile Remilia smiles and motions her to sit. The blonde nods once before taking her seat with a grin.

"Flandre, dear, we have some guests over. You know Marisa." She motions towards the witch. Once the blonde's attention was directed to her, Marisa gives her a speedy wave.

"Ah-heh-heh, heya, kid." Flandre waves in return, almost looking a bit sad. Did she not want to see her? Maybe I was looking a bit too closely.

"And this, is Miss Oki Arika, who came here with Marisa."

"Ah..." I give the girl a small smile and a light wave. "...A pleasure." Flandre is silent a moment. Remilia places a hand on her shoulder.

"Nice to meet you, Oki." The blonde nods towards me before sharing a glance with her sister. I blink before I return to the meat on my plate as Sakuya emerges from the kitchen holding her mistresses' plates, my tea, and a smaller dish which I can only assume would be for Meiling.

"Here we are." Sakuya smiles, before frowning again. "Ah…where is our guard?"

"Oh, Sakuya-" Flandre hums a bit, tapping a finger on her chin. "Meiling was taking too long, so I had to fix that." She laughs softly to herself, waving a hand in the air as if this was a casual thing for her to do. Remilia simply sighs before glancing at the maid.

"Leave her plate there for when she…comes to." The mistress ordered.

"Er…Yes, my lady." She sets Meiling's food on a corner unoccupied, hands out the meals to Remilia and Flandre, then gives me my tea. I give Remilia a small nod, taking a small sip from my cup. Flandre's focused on me again, slowly chewing the bit of food in her mouth.

"Hu...Can I help you, Flandre?" I ask quite hesitantly.

The blonde then swallows the food and smiles some. "You are a human, am I right, Oki?" I'm not liking where this is going.

"Well, yes." I answer quickly, running a hand through my hair. "I am from the outside world."

"Oh...Hm." Flandre pauses.

"Is there something else?" I cautiously ask.

"You stay with Reimu, I hear. Tell her to come over again soon. I miss her company quite a lot..." She pouts a bit before resuming her food. I could only nod slowly, making a mental note not to forget this in case I pass out.

* * *

 

 

The rest of the evening plays out pretty nicely. Eventually, Meiling regains consciousness, stumbles into the room, and quietly ate her soup with a sulky look on her face. I felt guilty, yes, but hopefully this will be made up in due time. Eventually, the meal wraps up with dessert in the entrance hall, with everybody doing their own thing.

"I've gotta hand it to you, Sakuya." I grin sheepishly, scooping up some pecan pie with my fork, "Aside from knife fights, you are an...an amazing cook!"

"Well, my thanks," She smiles some, looking the other way with a hand up to her mouth, "I do my best for my lady."

"That's really something, heh..." I stand, stretching out my arms. "Anyways, we really should be going. It's late, Reimu might be concerned, and I really need a nice rest..."

"Yeah, I gotta go, too." Marisa added, heading my way, "I'll take some books some other time, Patchy." She grabs her broom leaning against the wall and nods in my direction. "Ya ready?"

"Of course. Thank you for this nice meal. I appreciate it." I make for the door, before a voice stops me.

 

"Wait." Hey, it's Patchouli! She approaches me as Remilia watches, apparently knowing what this is about. "Your ability intrigues me, Oki. I should like to have a better study of it. So if you would return tomorrow…?"

"Well, I am not sure if Yukari is going to come by the shrine again." I consider. "But if not, I'll definitely come over. I'd like to explore this more, myself."

"Excellent!" Remilia chimes in, wings flapping a bit. "We will expect you then. Until that time, a good evening to both of you."

"Come again soon, Oki!" Meiling beams from the steps. If nothing else, I'd like to hang out with Meiling a bit more, too. That would make up for a lot.

"Until then!" I wave once, then head out into the crisp night air, Marisa close behind. Well, I managed not to fall asleep again, but I guess stuffing yourself with food would help with staying up for maybe half an hour. Though now, my drowsiness was coming back, and it was about to hit me hard anytime soon.  A shame. "Marisa~ Can't you carry me back home?" I chuckle to myself, taking one more look back at the mansion, I couldn't help to feel like something was missing. Did I forget something? Didn't I say goodbye to everyone? I shrug, quickly catching up with Marisa.

 

  
Must've been my imagination.


	9. Sunniest Mist

"Oh, well…I suppose I should have mentioned that, shouldn't I have?"

"It's fine, it's fine. Just...the next time there is something important to tell me, don't forget to tell me, okay?"

"The sarcasm isn't needed."

"...Sorry."

 

When I had returned the night prior, Reimu had been awakened by the rather noisy crash landing. Otherwise known as Marisa's sudden brakes flinging me into the shrine's walls. I had mentioned that things went well, and we'd had a nice first meeting with Remilia and her maid. When I mentioned to Reimu that I had to do this without Spell Cards, she immediately made a mental note that, before my next visit I would make at least one the next morning.

"If you have at least one, there is no risk of death when in a Spell Card battle." Reimu had said. Of course, given that she had spaced this before, I was a bit wary of her credentials to teach me these things. Then I found out she'd invented the Spell Card system. I honestly thought that I was dreaming right there, but sadly no. There was even more reason for me to feel smaller.

 

"So, Reimu." I began, sketching out some ideas on a sheet of paper that had been lying around, "Why did you come up with this system, anyway?"

"For starters, it makes things a bit more fair." Reimu shrugged, going over a few notes she'd gotten in her donation box from the human village. "The Spell Card system balances things out, because how well you do in that kind of battle all depends on how hard you work to hone your skills. If you pay no mind to your amount of Spell Cards and their diversity, or you just have a handful of powerful ones and nothing to fill the gaps, expect to lose. Quickly."

"Alrighty, that makes sense." I took a moment to circle one or two concepts that really stuck out. "Reason number two?"

"Reason number two is so that people can actually challenge me on even grounds." Reimu peeked over my shoulder. "Got anything?"

"Almost there. Care to elaborate?"

"Well, think about it. I'm directly tied to the Hakurei border, that which keeps Gensokyo separate from the Outside World. If I should die in battle, what do you think would happen?"

"Gensokyo's no longer Gensokyo?"

"Right. And trust me, the transition would not be pretty." I can believe that. "Before, I would have to just put all my effort into utterly destroying my opponent so I don't die. I really don't like the idea of being a serial killer, even if most of the youkai that would attack me would deserve it. Not to mention everyone else was to scared to fight me in case something went wrong."

"So this way, people can fight you to the best of their ability fairly, and there's no need to make a body count?"

"That's right. But there are rules." She glanced over my shoulder. "For example, any special ability or power cannot be openly used directly against your foe."

"Hm. I'm guessing it caught on pretty quick?" I scribble down some next to my chosen concept. "That's surprising, considering...youkai."

"Believe me, I was shocked too." Reimu smiled. "Some of these people are several hundred years old, and they accepted it without question. Even Yukari bended a few natural laws so that it was a mandatory system during an incident."

"That is pretty nice. Ah..." I take a look at my paper before handing it to Reimu. "Here. "

 

Reimu's face scrunches up. "Just what am I reading?"

"It's Japanese?"

Reimu pauses, then takes a look of absolute deadpan. "Oki, are you messing with me?"

"Look, I can read it just fine! It's just...a bit messy that's all."

"Do you expect me to be able to read these scribbles?" She crosses her arms, glaring. "Couldn't you have tried just a bit harder? Considering how this will keep you from not dying?"

"Huuuuh? Come on, you must be over exaggerating-"

"I am not." Reimu's eyes shut tight. She sighs roughly.

Woah, really? I knew my handwriting was bad but to the point of not being eligable? Maybe I should work on that someday...Not that I see writing being super handy for the future. But if it's for the peace and sanity of Reimu, why shouldn't I?

"Alright, so I won't be able to check your idea through written notes." Reimu groans, "That means the only option is a demonstration."

 

We're back out in front of the shrine. Since I was a bit stubborn about rewriting the entire thing, it's gonna have to be a trial-and-error process.

"Reimu, I'm not too sure about this." I mutter, stretching out my arms. "What if it fails?"

"Then nothing happens." Reimu nods. "Just declare the attack's name. If it works, a card will appear and you'll use the technique."

"So, what? Shout at the top of my lungs and hope for the best?" I pout, folding my arms defiantly. "I'll look really silly! Not happening!"

"Oh, come now, don't be so cowardly. Worst case scenario, Aya's somewhere nearby."

"Who?" Reimu quickly catches herself.

"Never mind, never mind. I've said too much." She backs away a bit. "Just give it a try, so show me what you've got."

…Do I really have to? I am starting to massively regret agreeing to this humiliation. I look over the paper once more…Okay, I think this will work. I raise my arms to the air, taking a deep breath. If this fails, I will never forgive myself.

"Growth Sign「Shaken Canopy」 !"

 

My arms fall back in front of me in an entirely straight position. From my hands, a large tree trunk quickly sprouts at where I was pointing, glowing leaves falling randomly on the sides, multiplying itself twice, barely leaving enough room for space. It lasts for a while until they begin to float away quite rapidly.

The trunk then bursts into more leaves, disappearing along the others.

Well, that certainly worked! It was quite pretty, really. I couldn't help but to gaze as the last of the remains float away. I am a bit tired after that, yes, but it was definitely worth the shot.

 

"Well, now." Reimu approaches, the corners of her mouth slightly turned upwards, "Safe to say the Spell Card's a success. Though, given you actually took the time to develop one, it's not too surprising."

"Ah? What's that supposed to mean? People come up with these in the middle of a fight?" That was pretty hard to imagine.

"Actually, that's pretty common amongst the youkai who use them." A frown settles on my face. Well, isn't that swell! Youkai once again win. "Don't take on such a look. Sometimes inspiration strikes during battle and a card pops out of nowhere."

"What, is it like a working of the subconscious mind, something like that?" All Reimu can offer is a shrug. "Well, it doesn't really matter all that much right now..." I hold the magical object between my fingers. "One card is all I need, right?"

"For your trip, yes. Don't think for a minute you won't need more, though." She took an absent-minded glance about the shrine. "Right. Anyways, there's no sign of Yukari, so consider the leash off, for now."

"Well, if you're going to have that kind of attitude, I'll just keep company at the mansion, thank you!" I teased playfully and turned away, heading down the shrine's steps.

"Oh, one more thing!" Reimu called. "If Patchouli starts getting overly eager in the experiments, call it quits!" I give her a thumbs up, giggling quietly to myself. I will definitely keep that in mind.

With that all said and done, I jump up in place only to land on a large leaf that I created. It was sunny today, so this will probably work until it suddenly starts pouring, which she hopes will not happen. The leaf then slowly glided upwards and away, taking me with it. Definitely refreshing.

* * *

 

 

Come on, leaf! I need better speed than that! Though, given I could never travel like this before, what reason do I have to complain? At times, I would have to give myself a little boost, thanks to the sun, but those boosts can catch me off guard at how fast they could be and nearly throw me off. Which I didn't want at all. Do I want to arrive all covered in dirt to an appointment?

The sight here is pretty, I suppose. If you ignore the fairies that is. I try my best to avoid them, not wanting to waste even more time. But of course, someone as large as me floating on a leaf isn't that hard to spot.

"Hey look, there's one!"

Sighing, I take a moment to angle myself in the direction of the fairy who had given me away, grabbing the top of her head.

"Wha-? L-Let me go, you jerk!"

"Gladly."

Slamming their faces into the dirt is still satisfying. Unnecessary, but satisfying. Ah, here come the cavalry! A whole bunch of generic rats with wings, come to cause me strife. Well, if I know one thing about fairies after last night, it is that aside from being annoying, they regenerate after being killed. They have an auto-resurrection factor.

Meaning I don't have to feel bad about throwing out sun-powered plant bombs at their way.

I go ballistic with the bullets, the victims to my handy plant bombs exploding in cloudy 'poof's. Seeing how they're not getting anything done, the fairies proceed to gather at my front and start sending bullets my way. Uhuu, what're they smirking for? These shots are so slow, and their aim is terrible! I should like to send every one of these wimps to a marksman class!

Oh, wait. The simplicity is what makes it fun.

"Kyaaaaaa!"

"Waugh!"

"Damn human!"

The above were the simultaneous shouts of the next three I blew up, never losing my stride as the wall of weaklings before me opens.

These guys never die right? Why feel guilty about it? I can't feel bad about mowing them down! Especially when I am feeling great like this!

The stragglers are still yelling angrily in those squeaky voices, shooting in my general direction, but I'm outrunning their shots in the first place, so there's no point in worrying. Those bullets just fizzle out of existence after a certain distance, anyway. How do I know this? I'm looking over my shoulder!

…Oh no-

Urk! I almost hit that tree there! That was a lucky break right there! Good to know that karma isn't punishing me all that soon. Well, with the battle over, I stretch out my arms with a large yawn. I come to a halt at the edge of the lake. There's the Scarlet Devil Mansion, right on the other side. Now, I could play it safe and go the long way, but what's the use? There are a few rocks sticking out of the water, I'll just use them as stepping stones. One-

"-TwoooouuwAAAHHH?!"

There I go, falling into the water. Okay, maybe jumping on rocks isn't the best idea, but now I am soaked! How can I go out like this? As I get back up to the surface, I quickly crawl onto a rock and lay down on my back, groaning.

I hate water. Water is everything I stand against.

Turning my head to one side, I glance into the forest absentmindedly. To know that I was once slaying fairies by the dozen and now stuck in cold, soaking wet clothes didn't help me feel better. Could I afford to float back to the shrine and get a new pair of clothes? No, probably not. I didn't feel like going back anyways. It was too much trouble.

I sighed before glancing over the scenery. Trees, trees, and even more trees. Maybe really my only favourite thing in the world, aside from gardening, but that still dealt with plantlife. No, I wasn’t obsessed, but plants are definitely much better than dealing with others. They couldn’t talk...or at least I hope they don’t. I chuckle to myself, probably looking strange to any passerby. I hope that no one is peeking into my life at this very second.

Other than that, at least the sun is bright today, my clothes feeling damp but not soaking wet as it was before. My hair was no problem at all, I never do comb it anyways. Combing your hair is for those who spend way too much time on themselves. And that was definitely not me. My hair had that kind of power do automatically look good in any situation, the exceptions being balding and fire. But that was highly unlikely.

“Ah? What’s that?” I squint at a distant blob of bright green in the far distance. It was crawling, no...more like spreading out. It clung onto the surrounding trees, much like...

"Vines? Huh?"

 

I shake my head, taking my attention away from it. It isn't bothering me, so why should I care? Whatever it is, the others could deal with it, not me. I wasn't one who solves incidents! Standing up on the rock I am on, I stretch out my arms, yawning loudly. I bet that by the time I get to the mansion, my clothes would be barely damp and unnoticable, which was ideal. I didn't want to be seen as irresponsible!

I decided that this time, I will take the long way. At least I can fuel my ego by annihilating fairies again.

 

 


	10. Basking Light

"Hello?" That's odd. Meiling's nowhere to be seen. "Meiling? Sakuya? Somebody?" I blink twice before shaking my head.

Alright, you asked for it.

"HEY MEI!" I call, cupping my hands to my mouth. Immediately after, I took a quick step to the side.

"Haaaaaaaaaa!" Meiling's foot barely misses me and lands on the ground, forcing her to a halt. Nearly got knocked unconscious there. "Uh? Oh! Hello, Oki." The girl waved happily at me, beaming quite a bit.

"Ehehe, hello! I thought you got a knife in the head for not being at your post yesterday?" I cross my arms, tilting my head to one side with a playful smirk on my face. Right away the guard breaks out in a nervous sweat.

"Ah…" She stammers while glancing over her shoulder, as if expecting the housekeeper to appear that very moment. Although given Sakuya can stop time and essentially teleport as far as the rest of us are concerned, I can see why that might be common. "I was busy doing my rounds! I was checking the perimeter for intrusion!"

I chuckle before waving it off. I won't say anything about it, though, that one question has tortured you enough for now. "Whatever you say. Anyways, could you let me in to see Patchouli?"

"Yes, of course!" Meiling stands aside, bowing slightly once more. "I hope you two have fun!"

"Yeah yeah, thanks again!" I wave to her as I speed along. "I'll see you later, Mei!"

* * *

 

I am so terribly, awfully lost.

I never do pay attention to directions, especially when I feel like there's no use to remembering it. Everything was simple before, but now a mansion? You are asking the impossible from me now.

 

At the very least, the fairy maids haven't given me any hassle. They haven't been help either, though. Even when I ask them the simplest of questions, they seem to always make a fool of me. I'd like to demonstrate this again.

"Hey, you fairies there!" They stop, looking at me quizzically. "Could any of you point me towards the library? I'd appreciate it."

They point in three different directions, break into a chorus of giggling, then fly away. I can see why you'd need a head maid like Sakuya to compensate for everyone of them. And still, I can't for the life of me find my way around these halls. I can understand why Remilia would want the place bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, but this is just silly.

 

A chill just runs down my spine as I walk through the corridors. Someone was definitely watching me, which wasn't the best thing to realize while I am lost with no knowledge of where to run just in case. Well, I don't have reason to worry, everyone here's okay with me, right?

"Ah? Somebody around here?" There's a light landing sound from behind.

"Hello, Oki!" Replies a cheery voice. Oh right, I forgot she exists. I turn around and hesitantly wave to Flandre, who is smiling at me with eager eyes. She wasn't like this before, was she? "What are you doing back?"

"...I'm here to see Patchouli." Flandre just tilts her head, still smiling. "She invited me back last night? You were there, weren't you?"

"…Right, I remember now." She nods and claps her hands together. "Are you lost, Oki? You have been walking around for quite a while." This is not where I had wanted this conversation to go. I would much rather have my own company than mindlessly following a member of the household who I barely know, even if it meant fumbling around aimlessly. Still, I have to trust that she's not going to do anything, and I also didn't want to look that rude.

"To be honest, yes. I don't suppose you could show me how to get there?"

"Oh, that wouldn't be a problem with me." Flandre shoots a grin at me, taking to the air a foot or two above my head, my wrist in her grasp. "C'mon, Randa-kun, this way!"

I definitely underestimated how strong this girl was. Flandre has one powerful grip, one that nearly took my arm out from her pulling me along to my destination. Luckily, I wasn’t all that worn out from before, so I managed to barely keep up with her.  I could swear once or twice she sped up just for the sake of taking my arm with her and leaving the rest of me. My arm began to ache as I try to tell the girl to slow down, but she only responds with a very unconcerned wave. At any rate, we've come to a stop outside the library's double doors, leaving me gasping a bit and the little sister not any worse for wear.

"Now now, here we are. Wasn’t that thrilling?" She claps her hands together, laughing at my disposition. Normally, I wouldn’t mind these things, but when my arm nearly got ripped off plus her disregarding my state? It definitely gave me a reason to dislike her just a bit. Either she was making fun of me or she is completely oblivious to what is happening, which I highly doubt.

"Define…thrilling." I get out in between panting, a bit of snark slipping out.

"Oh, now you are being silly. Sadly, I’ll have to take my leave. I hope you have fun, Oki!" With that, the younger devil takes off in a quick flash, leaving me before the book-holding sanctum. It took me a moment to catch up with my breath, though I guess I have already spent enough time doing other things than what I am supposed to be doing. Well, here goes nothing.

 

I give a couple of knocks on the door, an unfamiliar voice then answered.

 

"Who is out there?"

"I'm Oki Arika. I'm here by Patchouli's invitation!" I call to whoever's on the other side, twirling a strand of my hair, waiting.  "I don't know you! How can I know for certain you're not lying?" The voice questions, sounding quite persistent. I was about to answer back, but I stop myself from doing so.

"Goodness, Koakuma, simply open the door." Came Patchouli's distant voice. A sigh came from the other girl. "Alright, Miss Patchouli." A loud creaking sound filled the hall as the doors before me parted. "Please come in, Miss. Arika."

"Thank you." I bow quickly, taking a step inside. "Ah, where do you want to do this?"

"The center, where my desk lies. Please follow me." Patchouli hovers off towards the center of the massive room. I trod alongside her, while Koakuma follows at a safe distance. I didn’t mind her following us, though I do guess that she is some sort of assistant to Patchouli or something similar.

 

"Now." I notice that I was beginning to float up in the air, which took me by surprise. She strolled around the corner of the desk. "Marisa was by earlier to…tie up loose ends, as you may imagine. I loaned her a few objects in exchange for knowing what elements you have experience with. She told me you are familiar with containing the sun’s energy and other light sources?"

"You were told right." Still, I feel bad she had to give away some of her books for this. Guess they weren't as important. I should probably not mention it though. Patchouli raises her palms, in which two orbs appear. In the left hand, there is fire. In the right, there is electricity. "I'm going to test your endurance, Oki. I intend to shoot these orbs at you, one after the other. Do you follow?" I give her a slow nod. "First, you will need to absorb the flame. Do not block nor deflect, consume it. Following the fire, I will launch the thunder orb, and you must draw it in as well."

"I'm not too sure about this. I've never touched those two before." Patchouli considers this.

"Alright, we'll try the thunder first. Ready?" I sigh before standing up straight, my hands balled up into tight fists.

"Let me have it."

 

Patchouli thrusts her palm forward, the dangerous projectile launching towards me. The thunder crashes against my torso, knocking me back a bit. However, I'm not feeling any pain…just a tingling of sorts. However, it hasn't been broken down, still pressing against me with considerable force. I wasn't absorbing it though, only rejecting it.

I tense my pectorals as much as I can, and the orb begins to flicker erratically. However, within moments, it breaks at the center, reduced to streams of electricity that enter my chest at different spots. The process has left me winded, and my chest feels pretty tight, but I'm not in any real pain.

 

"Oki? You seem to be struggling…" Patchouli dismisses the fire orb, appearing concerned for my well-being.

"Agh…I'm…fine." I slouch forward, grasping at my chest. "It feels a lot different…than pure light. It's kind of forcing me to hunch over, like something's pulling on my shoulders."

"Hm. Feel free to release it now."

It doesn't take much effort, as my body didn't want it in the first place. A couple of small flowers burst out around me. I probably absorbed maybe a little of the light, but other than that, it was all gone. Truth of the matter is, once I'm not forcing myself to keep it in, the power just bursts from my sides, from my fingers, my head and feet...My body was definitely rejecting it. In any case, breathing becomes a whole lot easier, so I take a few moments to gulp in some air.

"Are you okay?" Koakuma approaches closer, a look of concern on her face. I nod my head quickly, waving my hand in the air.

"It's alright." My hair's a bit frazzled, my fingers are twitching, and I think my heartbeat may have been a bit offset. I wasn't dead however, that's what matters. Still, I still want to explore my limits, so I'm not gonna quit this early on. "I...I'm ready for the fire, Patchouli."

"Well…as long as you're sure." Hesitating for but a moment, Patchouli brings forth the orb again, taking aim at me. "Brace yourself." The flame darts forward, hitting me square in the collar. This is nowhere near as hard as the electric shot, however it was hot. It felt like my body was near a fireplace and being slowly put inside. The light was easier to absorb though, even if the heat was still there. Oh god it was still spreading through my body- "Are you well?"

 

"I am burning, hah hah..." I begin to pant, quickly trying to make use of the absorbed light to get this furnace out of my body. Hot, desert, plants- A cactus quickly found itself growing from my palms, quickly dragging out the heat and energy out of my body, which quickly cooled me down. The plant stayed around for a while before slowly disappearing, taking the fire with it. I gasp for air, a sense of relief washing over me. I was quickly brought down back on the floor, fanning myself.

"Hah...Thanks."

 

"No trouble." She picked up a notebook and a pencil. "However, can you tell me what changes there were?"

"Ah well..." I stretched my back, getting the aches from my torso, "The electricity was hard, but not impossible. I got some out of it...but the fire was much better, even if it was a bit overwhelming..." I am definitely not going to try touching fire any time soon.

"Alright." Patchouli scribbled a few things down, "I can work with this, for now. Could I ask you to drop by in another two days?" I ponder for a while, tapping my cheek. At least I had an extra day for a break from this stuff. "Sure, why not?" Giving the girl a wave, I slowly made for the door, before stopping. "Oh, Patchouli, do you know any teleportation spells?"

"I know of several. Why?"

"I feel...terrible, honestly, and I really don't want to play with the fairies."

"That is understandable. Very well, stand very still." Patchouli raised her hands to the sky. She began to recite some phrases that I couldn't comprehend, but I hope that it would take me back...home? It was weird, thinking of that shrine as my new home. It was a bit depressing, honestly.

Ah, glowing symbols.

"Have a good day, Miss. Oki!" Koakuma waves to me as I'm engulfed by the glow.

  
"See you two!"


	11. Fleeting Rain

How many times have I gotten hurt? Either on purpose or by accident? I should definitely keep count, because maybe sooner or later these accident tickets might be able to be traded in for some great prizes. Like maybe a more comfy bed, or some nice new clothes. Especially since this old dress of mine is getting a bit scratched up. I frown, examining the fabric. Yes, definitely a bit more than scratched up. I patched it up a bit before, but now it is getting ridiculous.

I sigh, taking a look around my surroundings. I did say the shrine, right? This definitely didn't look like it. Ah? What's that sound? People? Is this the human village? Patchouli warped me here? I rub my cheek, pouting to myself. This is not home at all. Might as well have a look around. Who knows? Maybe I can find somewhere I can get a job. Or find some nice clothes.

"Ah, hello there, miss!" An older man of bald head and rake in hand addresses me as I enter the living area. It took a while for me to realize that he was referring to me. "Are you perhaps new around here?" He asks me with a cheery smile. Seeing that warmed my heart up a bit. I give him an equally cheery response. "You could say that!" The man gives me a nod, seeming to be in thought before he spoke again. "Oh, sorry, miss. I was a bit lost in thought there! You just look a bit familiar to me."

"Hm? Do I?"

He nods again, scratching his chin. "It may just be my old age playing tricks on me though! Did you have any relatives that lived near here before?" I shrug my shoulders. Relatives weren't my thing, after all. The only one I cared about was my grandfather, and that was about it. Everything else flew past my head. "Not that I know of, sorry. I don't keep them very close." I answer quietly, twirling a strand of my hair. He seemed a bit sad at my response, but it was quickly cast aside.

"Anyways, from that Outside World, are you? You do have that air around you." The man leaned on his rake, looking up to the sky. "You looking for anything in particular?"

"Ah, I was thinking of looking around...Maybe something will catch my eye, right?" That reminds me, I didn't have money. I would have to ask Reimu about that...even if she might get a bit peeved at the question. Looking around was harmless however, and plus it would be a waste of time if I didn't familiarize the place.

"In that case, I should probably leave you be, huh? Young folk like you wouldn't want to be seen with an old man!" He chuckles to himself, giving me another smile. I could only smile back, it was the least I could do. "No no, it was nice talking to you, sir. Please have a good day." I give him a long bow, which causes him to shake his hand. "No need to be that formal! Have a good day as well, child."

I then took my leave, feeling a bit more happier inside. That conversation definitely cheered me up from all that happened today, especially from getting hurt.

After that, I found myself wandering around the streets of a market, trying out food samples and politely denying amazing offers from stores that wanted to sell their produce. It's been so long since I've been through a place like this, it's almost as if time were reversed here. So long ago...I couldn't help but to feel a bit nostalgic.

* * *

 

I finally then notice that the sun is beginning to go down and everything. I sure hope I find my way back before it gets too late, the night time being the worst time for me. The dark was really a thing of nightmares, and with all of these youkai lurking about, it just made things even worse. I begin to make my way towards what I hope was the right way. Maybe if I do get lost, I can simply hibernate under some leaves and have the plants keep me company.

Suddenly, I hear a quick noise behind me, almost like something flew right by me. I turn around, my hands at my chest. The dark was terrible, as I said. "Who's there?" Silence. Is there really no one? I guess my senses aren't sharpening quite at the rate I'd expect-

"Ayayaya~"

I instinctively close my eyes, a strong wind blowing towards me, pushing me back a few steps. This was so annoying, very annoying indeed. I then decide to take a peek before I am greeted with a girl with black hair and…red eyes? Where's my good luck charm when I need it? Or maybe salt?

"Wh-what do you want?" The girl turns to me with a wide grin. She looks way too eager, which only made me even more anxious.

"You must be the new outsider, yeah?" …Is that a notepad in her hand? She doesn't want to fight? If so, I hope she leaves me be. I don't want any part of this. But of course, even if I try to escape, she seems way more quicker than me and would probably squish me like a bug.

"Um…yes." I could only come up with those two words as I was still a bit annoyed at almost being blown away.

"Ayayaya~! What a lucky break!" She seems quite proud of herself. Was I some sort of prize to her?  I can see now that she has black wings. …Crow wings. Birds? No wonder I instinctively dislike her. Birds might as well come from another planet.

"…Sure. Who are you, exactly?"

The girl plants her fists on her hips and moves one foot forward in a confident pose. "I'm the pure and honest Aya Shameimaru, top reporter for the Bunbunmaru!" She takes up her notepad again, scribbling some things in. "Now, how about a name, hm?"

"Oki Arika...You're a newspaper reporter?" She nods rapidly, bringing one hand to the air, waving it around. "That's right, that's right! Best in Gensokyo, if I do say so myself!" She then flashes me a grin, which I could only react with a grimace.

"And you want to talk to me?"

"You bet! People don't fall into Gensokyo everyday, you know? Gotta get fresh interviews whenever I can! Could you maybe answer a few questions?"

I blink, trying to absorb this all in. Aya didn’t seem all that dangerous, even less so since she was talking to me rather than fighting me. And also, questions about me? I, Oki Arika, being in the thoughts of many without moving a single muscle? That would be a new feeling. Sighing, I give Aya a small smile. "Why not? What do you wanna ask me, Miss Aya?" She grins broadly and flies up to a nearby branch, wings fluttering slightly as she takes a seat.

"Alright! First question! How'd you come to end up in Gensokyo?" I tilt my head to one side, tapping my cheek to stall her a bit. I better be discreet about this, as Yukari seems to be keeping the lid on her little immigration project. I didn’t want her to get angry at me or anything like that. That would definitely hurt me badly.

"Well, I guess you could call it wrong place at the wrong time. I...saw one of Yukari's gaps in the Outside World, fell through, and ended up a little ways away from the Scarlet Devil Mansion." Aya jots down the details… Why does it feel like she's writing more than I said? I couldn’t he;[ but to feel cheated. "Ooh! You get into a fight with anyone there?" The crow stares at me intensively, a gleam in her eye. She was enjoying this, it seems. I look side to side, speaking in a soft tone. "Well, I nearly got into a mess when I met Meiling…" She is grinning, which meant I had to catch myself and fast. "But! Nothing too serious, of course! It’s all well now, especially when it was Reimu who really did all the fighting and helped me out."

"Reimu, huh? Are you staying with her?"

I give her a small nod before explaining further. "I have been lodging at the Hakurei Shrine, yes. During my stay, I met Marisa. They've both been pretty nice so far. I am happy."

Aya taps her notepad with her pen, nodding slowly. "Uh-huh… Why were you fighting Meiling at the Scarlet Devil Mansion last night?" I got caught off guard by that question, Aya obviously noticing my tense stance. "You...saw that?" She laughs, wings flapping a bit. "Of course! That's how I found out about you!" I frown at the thought of having to explain all of this. Though I have to keep in mind, this is better than the time I got attacked by crows. Much better. Do you think they still do that here? "Well, I'd gone to apologize for before, and she demanded a match if I wanted to be forgiven. Long story short, I earned my forgiveness." She mutters affirmatively to herself as she scribbles these things down. "Marisa snuck in to steal some books while we were going at it. We went in after her, and the night ended with us eating dinner there."

"By the vampire's request?"

"Yes...Huh.." I probably shouldn't have answered that. Well, what’s said has been done, and attempting to cover it up would only do more bad than good for me.

"What's your relation to Yukari Yakumo? Is she even aware of your presence in Gensokyo?" I did say that I'd kinda snuck in...Ah, I didn’t think this through enough. Now I’ll have to attempt to make things sound truthful enough in front of this reporter. "Oh, yeah. She doesn’t bother me much. Other than that...it’s okay. Nothing super special, I suppose...I guess you could call her kind of my benefactor. Even helped with my a-" Stop stop stop it, right now. I am digging a grave for myself at this point. Abilities shouldn’t be mentioned for the entire place to know.

"…With your what?" Aya blinks, pressing for the information.

"That is, with my Spell Cards. I'm kinda dabbling in Spell Card battles." Aya's head snaps up at this new information. She slowly begins making a note. "Well, now. Are you a good fighter?" I sigh in relief, giving the crow a small nod. "I'd say I can hold my own."

"And...you made it! This is all very helpful." Aya seems quite fulfilled as she pockets the notebook, tucking her pencil behind her ear. "Thank you for your cooperation, Oki. I ought to have this in the papers by tomorrow!"

"Uh…the pleasure was mine?" I awkwardly rub my left arm, averting my eyes. Aya gives a two fingered salute, balancing on her long-heeled shoes. Well, if she is a crow…Even though I dislike birds with a passion, you have to use what you have to your advantage, right? "Um, can you direct me to the Hakurei Shrine?"

The girl blinks at me, surprised at my question. "You don't know?"

"I've never been through here before..."

"You know what?" Aya flaps down next to me. "Since you've been so helpful, why don't I just take you there the quick way?" The quick way? What's-?! Before I had time to even think, Aya grabbed my right arm, dragging me with her like I was some sort of doll. It was painful, to say the least. I struggle against her grip for a bit, before realizing that maybe being dropped wouldn't be the best idea. My offender seems to not care in the slightest, which in my mind is typical for a heartless bird. Good to know they are still mean as ever, even if I did agree to this a bit. Still, it's good to see the shrine again, and in one piece. I don't know why the shrine being intact surprises me, but it's still something to celebrate quietly.

"Hah hah...D-Did you really have to go that fast?!" Aya just grins and placed her fingers on the side of her head, giving her an older figure aura. Terrible.

"Whaaaat? I gotta get this printed, you know? But if you want a sorry, then here's your sorry! Sorry."

I sigh sadly at the crow, waving my hand in the air. "It doesn't matter anymore. Thanks anyways for getting me here." Aya grins at me, waving her hand at me. "No problem! Consider this a lucky action though! Don't expect me to pop up anywhere to get you back here. Anyways, I oughta get back. See you soon!"

And with that, the girl left me at the shrine fairly quickly. I didn't even have time to say goodbye to her either, which sits badly with me, though I manage to push away that thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last chapter that uses the original fanfiction's plot! expect more shorter chapters and slower updates after this!


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